


Innocently Devilish

by TiBun



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Bottom Snake, Lemon, M/M, Mpreg, Rare Pairings, Romance, Top William
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-17
Updated: 2013-08-24
Packaged: 2017-12-24 13:14:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 118,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/940399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiBun/pseuds/TiBun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Late one particularly bitter winter night, William heads home, eager to warm himself and slip into bed. However, Fate has other plans. Finding a nearly forgotten face from his not-so-distant past frozen near his door is enough to change his life forever, far more than he ever thought possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: we do not own any recognizable characters. we only explore the possibilities.
> 
> Co-written with pervyyaoifancier (DA)

****

_Cover art by[NamiOki](http://namioki.deviantart.com/)_

* * *

William had had a rather trying day in the field. He normally did not have to take over so often, but there had been a rash of call outs lately and he was swamped with covering shifts. Fortunately, he had managed to pawn off some assignments onto some junior reapers who could certainly handle it. He was tired, he was cold, and he was quite hungry having not had the time to stop and eat yet that day, let alone all evening. It was a particularly bitter winter so far, he noted seeing his breath in the air as he hurried home and pulled his coat tighter around himself. The weather certainly explained why the Dispatch was swamped with souls to collect. It must have been absolutely unbearable in the country. Will looked forward to indulging in a hot bath and a steaming cup of coffee.

As he approached his building, he saw what appeared to be a body slumped against the wall. Will quirked a curious eyebrow at that. Had there been a reap due there, he would have taken it upon himself to collect. It would have been silly not to, and if it wasn't a corpse, then he certainly didn't want some ruffian loitering outside of his building. His mouth set in a displeased line, he approached the body, ready to either call for a constable or give a severe tongue lashing. As the supervisor drew nearer, he noticed white hair and a shocking lack of winter wear though small puffs of breath could be seen coming from parted lips. Drawing nearer still, he felt a bit of recognition. The person looked remarkably like the snake charmer from the Noah's Arc Circus, though now he wore the outfit of a common footman. That was odd. As Will crouched down and lifted the young man's chin, he confirmed that suspicion when he saw the patches of scales on deathly white cheeks...and incredibly blue lips.

William frowned at the sight and dropped the boy's chin to shake his shoulder gently.

"Boy," he said softly. "I don't care what it is you're doing here, but you can't sleep here. It's private property and I will have you removed."

There was no response as Snake's head lolled to the side. His skin had been icy to the touch and he was obviously succumbing to the elements. Why didn't the idiot have a coat and why was he slumped outside here? The circus had disbanded after Phantomhive's slaughter of the main members, so it was no surprise this member had likely been wandering ever since...though the footman's uniform made it clear that he had found work somewhere. William looked around, knowing it was futile to think he'd find any clues or that someone would miraculously show up to claim the pale young man.

With a sigh, William shoved at the young man's shoulder once more and again received no response. He wasn't sure what drove him to do it, but he scooped the lithe body into his arms. He couldn't just leave him there for the common London trash to do Rhea-knew-what to him and reporting him to the police might just get him in trouble with his employer. William wasn't about to let someone who had found a reputable job fall into the gutter again. That was highly unprofessional. It occurred to him that the uniform might just be part of a con job as the boy had been a carnie, who were no better than gypsies, but he would give the boy the benefit of the doubt in this case.

He carried the young man up to his flat where he unceremoniously dumped him on the sofa in the sitting room, threw a blanket over him, and wandered over to the hearth to start a fire.

Snake's shivering slowly subsided and diminished as his body slowly warmed again. He was quite sensitive to temperature, and cold always seemed to affect him more quickly, his body slowly shutting down, almost like going into hibernation. Though he had not been too worried about that earlier when he had been sent out to drop off a package for the young earl he works for. He had been sent as the Head Butler was far too busy helping the boy with a request from the Queen. The winter weather hadn't been all that bad when he had left, and he had, had his scarf and a thick black coat to help keep him warm.

He had felt a little tired after walking through the streets in the snow, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He delivered the parcel and left again, once more heading back to the Phantomhive Manor. His walk became slower as the temperature dropped suddenly, and Oscar, the snake that had been hidden under his scarf, had fallen asleep quickly from the cold, unable to stay awake, and leaving Snake to walk on in a lonely silence.

The young man couldn't really remember much about what had happened. It was all like a blur, a large rough hand enclosing around his mouth, a foot kicking deep into his torso leaving him breathless, and then his coat and scarf were gone, the sound footsteps running away. He had gathered Oscar in his arms and slid him under his tailcoat and tried to continue…

But what happened next? Snake could only remember the biter cold, and darkness…slowly he opened his eyes, blinking in confusion as he took in his unfamiliar surroundings

It was taking an inordinate amount of time for the young man to come to, but there was no way for William to know just how long he'd been in the cold. He was not an experienced caretaker in this lifetime, and he was slowly losing patience. Will couldn't do much else but wait. He couldn't take that hot bath he wanted with a stranger in the house, so he busied himself with caring for his rabbit. When the young man still hadn't woken up, Will retreated into the kitchen to make himself that coffee he'd promised himself, and he assumed a hot drink would be good for the unconscious young man once he woke up.

As he walked back into the living room carrying his mug of coffee he actually was surprised to see the young man's eyes open.

"It took you long enough," William practically scoffed. He would have usually been more polite, but he was tired. Realizing he was being rude, William tried to correct his behavior. "What I mean to say is you were out for a long time. How are you feeling?"

Snake blinked a few times and slowly pushed himself up, feeling Oscar still asleep in his sleeve; which could only mean that he didn't have help in answering the question that was directed at him.

He looked over at the source of the inquiry, only to blink and rub his eyes with his thinly gloved hand. He knew the man…he had been a member at the circus…a newer one, but still one that simply vanished. Just like Doll, Joker, Jumbo and the others… He bit his lower lip, gathering his courage to attempt to speak without help until Oscar was warm enough to awaken himself; "…Suit..? Asks myself." He managed to say in an incredibly soft voice, his eyes adverting to the flames in the hearth.

Will's brow furrowed at the boy's response.

"Suit? You feel suit?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Then he remembered the ridiculous name he'd been given during his short mission with the circus. Of course that would be the only name Snake would know him by. And then he also remembered that the young man was painfully shy. William wasn't one to cater to such personality quirks, but if he wanted some answers, he would need to rein in his inadvertent severity.

"William, actually," he said leaning against the door frame and softening his tone. "My name is William. Care to tell me why you were outside my building in the dead of winter freezing to death without even a jacket?"

Snake looked down at his lap and shifted uncomfortably, "…I…had a jacket…it was taken…says myself." He bit his lip and continued to look down as if his lap was interesting.

"Taken?" William asked, standing up straight again. "By whom?"

The young man shook his head. He couldn't answer that one…he hadn't seen the person.

"Was it stolen?" William asked assuming the shake of the boy's head meant he didn't know. Well, if he'd been mugged, that would explain why he'd been unconscious in an alley.

"Are you injured?" William asked, taking a step toward the young man.

Snake nodded, then looked up, "…I…should get back…we were only supposed to deliver a package…says myself" he said in his low voice.

"It is very difficult to get a straight answer out of you," William said as he narrowed his eyes slightly.

The boy was looking significantly less blue, but he was still trembling slightly. It would take a while for him to get warmed through, and William had no intention of letting him go back out there until he had. It would be pointless for him to have dragged the thin young man up here to warm up again only to have his efforts wasted.

"Get closer to the fire," William said curtly. "I brought you here so you wouldn't die and I expect you not to. I also assume your boss would not appreciate you stumbling in after midnight half frozen to death. You may stay here until you thaw out and then you may leave in the morning."

William paused, and then tried again, "Now, tell me, are you injured or not?"

The footman's eyes widened in alert, after midnight? He was already so late getting back…His chores left undone. He knew he would get a scolding already, and it would only be worse if he didn't leave right away. The Head Butler was always key on things being done on time. Snake didn't want to know what punishment was already awaiting him. "Doesn't matter…if we are so late…Black is sure to be angry with us for tardiness…S-says myself." He said with a slight quiver in his quiet voice.

William rolled his eyes and sighed in irritation that his question had been avoided again.

"Look, boy, I asked if- Wait- _Black_?" William said with a sneer. "You work for Phantomhive and his dog?"

That alone was reason enough to boot the frail looking young man out. If he'd been outside snooping around maybe he was bringing back information to that foul demon...but the way the boy held himself told William to withhold judgment on that. He didn't appear to be spy material by any means and it was incredibly difficult to fake hypothermia.

William closed his eyes and took a deep breath to keep his quickly rising temper down and reopened his eyes to look at the young man calmly.

"Don't be a fool. You are suffering from exposure to the elements and going back out into the cold will just make it worse. It is a long way to that manor from here and cabs have long since stopped running. You could walk, but you do not have a coat and I'll not lend you one unless I know for sure I will receive it back, which means escorting you, which is not going to happen this night."

As William spoke, Snake felt Oscar stir in his sleeve, finally and lazily poke his head out to look at William. He gave a soft hiss, and Snake answered with a hiss of his own. Oscar took over answering for Snake, much to the boy's relief.

"Smile said he would help us find the other members of our circus Family…But Black is strict on orders…we have to go back…says Oscar."

That was downright infuriating. Why did the boy insist on ignoring Will's advice? Why had he even bothered bringing him up here is he was so determined to freeze to death anyway?

"Fine," William said with a twitching eyebrow as he walked out of the sitting room and into his bedroom. He went to his closet and chose his least favorite sweater, marched back out into the sitting room, unceremoniously tossed said sweater at Snake and pointed towards his front door. "There's the door. Best of luck to you."

With that, he turned on his heel and went back into the kitchen before he lost his temper. He'd tried.

Snake looked down at the sweater and slipped it on, Grunting in pain as his bruised ribs protested when he stood up. He neatly folded the blanket and left it on the couch before walking to the door and pausing to look into the kitchen as Oscar settled himself into Snake's clothes again. "…Thank you, Suit…says Oscar." He muttered before walking outside once more.

William didn't bother responding when Snake left. Instead, he made sure the front door was locked and finally indulged in the hot bath he'd been looking forward to all day, keeping all thoughts focused on soaking in the blessed heat of the water. Of course, that didn't last long as thinking of how pleasantly warm he was now brought forth memories of horrible cold winter nights he and his sister had barely survived as children. He truly hated the cold because of that...and he'd let that foolish young man leave with nothing more than a sweater. He could hear his sister admonishing him in his mind.

With a scowl at no one in particular and a sigh of irritation, William pulled himself from his bath, thoroughly dried off, dressed incredibly warmly, and headed out into the cold once more with a spare coat hoping he might be able to track down Snake before snow started to fall.

* * *

 

Snake was nearly there and shivering violently, Oscar, again, having fallen asleep after the cold seeped through the layers of clothing. He quickened his pace, wanting to get back into the warm manor sooner, even if he knew he would find Sebastian standing in the door with his silver pocket watch out, ready to scold him.

He pulled the large sweater around him more and up to cover his frozen nose, the smell of the man it belonged to lingering in the knitted wool. He would have to find time the next day to return it.

* * *

 

Winter was never kind to William, and this night was no exception. Almost as soon as he'd stepped outside, snow had begun to fall. He grumbled to himself and opened his umbrella wondering if it would even matter as he dashed off in the direction of the Phantomhive estate. He also questioned his sanity for running off after a boy he hardly knew at nearly one in the morning. He scowled as he neared the manor and saw Snake making his way slowly up the road. He could practically hear the boy's teeth chattering. With a huff, William approached the young man, and without warning draped the spare coat over the boy's shivering shoulders.

"Congratulations on not being dead," William said flatly.

Snake looked up at William in surprise, "…S-Suit…? As-ks my-sel-f." He chattered in a confused voice, he hadn't even imagined he would be followed.

"No. My name is William...or Mister Spears," he corrected with a quirked eyebrow. "Honestly, do you listen to a word I say? No, obviously you do not since you are out here in the dead of night walking through the snow and doing your best to risk exposure again."

William couldn't help but frown, holding the umbrella over both of them to keep the snow off. He truly did not want to go anywhere near the demon's place of residence, but he'd come this far already...

"Hurry up and pull on that coat. I will escort you to the gates to keep the snow off of you, though I doubt it will do you much good at this point," he said in an irritated tone as he moved to start walking again.

Snake looked down at his feet, pulling the coat around him more, "S-sorr-y…says m-myse-lf." He was already being scolded, and he hadn't yet reached the gates yet. He hung his head, already looking like a puppy who had been hit with a newspaper for misbehaving.

William looked at the young man and noted he looked rather downtrodden. Snake carried himself like a scolded pup...a scaly humanoid pup. So, not like one at all really, but there was a certain vulnerability that appealed to that part of William that was weak towards animals and small children. The boy did deserve a reprimand for being so foolish, but perhaps William hadn't needed to make his displeasure so obvious.

"I respect your work ethic," William said toning down his harshness though he continued to walk.

Snake shook his head, and looked up, though his chin was still down, nearly touching his chest, "B-been making—t-to many mistakes l-lat-ly…Black is alrea-dy unhappy with me…says m-self…"

William rolled his eyes at that. Not at Snake, but at the demon.

"Anything that beast does not do himself will always be less than perfect in his discerning beady eyes," William said with obvious distaste. "So long as you try your hardest and attempt to correct your mistakes earnestly, then you are doing your job correctly. What waylaid you today were circumstances beyond your control, correct? Assert yourself when you explain where you have been and I doubt Michaelis will find you at fault."

Snake shook his head, "Warned me not t-to again…He s-aid I'm no-t like the other s-servants…can't afford…to be late…says myself…" he stuttered, lowering his gaze again. He never understood what Sebastian had meant, and he had never talked to the other servants to find out why the butler put up with all their mistakes, which were far more than his.

"Or he'd do what? Reprimand you further? He has terrible managerial skills if he gives vague threats rather than motivation to correct behavior."

Snake looked at William sadly and shook his head again, "Break my contract…with Smile…I…I won't find out where Joker and the others are…says myself…"

"What is there to know?" William asked with a raised eyebrow, focused on keeping the umbrella over the both of them as the snow began to fall thicker.

"Is Phantomhive leading you on saying they are alive? That is cruel, though not surprising considering the company he keeps," William said offhandedly. The souls had already been collected, so there was no harm in the boy knowing.

Snake abruptly stopped walking, "They…they aren't?" Snow once again started to settle on his shoulders and eyelashes, chilling him more.

William noted he only heard his own footsteps and stopped to see that Snake had lagged behind. With a sigh, William approached him again and held the umbrella over him.

"Correct. They are dead," William said neutrally. Frankly, the subject of death was nothing he felt should be sugar coated. It was just a fact and should be treated as such. However, he could not tell Snake the details of the deaths. It should be enough for him to know the bottom line and he could decide what to do from there.

Tears welled up in Snake's golden eyes and fell down his cold cheeks. The small droplets of water turning to ice on his scales.

"B-but Smile said…th-that they ran away…he…he said…that he didn't kill them….s-says myself…" he choked.

Seeing tears, William heard his sister in his head cursing at him for being so insensitive. He normally could care less over someone weeping, but the boy was incredibly vulnerable and the sight of his tears freezing on his cheeks made something in the supervisor's chest twinge oddly. He looked away as he rooted around under his multiple layers of clothing to retrieve a handkerchief.

"I am not at liberty to say how they met their ends, just that they did. I was witness to it," he said gently as he offered the handkerchief.

Snake hesitantly took the offered handkerchief, and whipped his eyes, "D-do Smile and Bl-ack know? Asks…myself." He asked slowly, dreading the answer. Back when his circus family had disappeared, he had thought that Ciel had something to do with it…that he had killed them. He hadn't known why he thought such, or how he had come up with such an idea, but it had seemed right until the child had said that they had gone on the run because they had committed a crime. He had been swayed so easily…And now those same old thoughts were coming back to him.

"Yes they know," William said neutrally though he was becoming more and more uncomfortable with the emotional situation.

"I don't mean to sound crass, but kindly decide if we are moving on or not. I must report to work in the morning and I would like to get a decent amount of sleep and I am not enjoying standing out here in the cold. Shall I escort you to the Phantomhive estate or do you wish to go elsewhere? The hour is so unreasonable that no respectable inn would possibly take you in so I reluctantly offer my sofa again."

In William's mind, it wasn't any different than what he'd resigned himself to earlier, but his earlier plans hadn't involved running about London in the wee hours of the morning in the snow.

Snake bit his lip and tightened his grip on his borrowed coat, "…I…don't like liars…b-but we have nowhere else to go…Noah's Arc…is long gone…says myself…"

William sighed.

"The decision is yours, Snake," William said flatly, losing his patience to fatigue and frustration. Shaking his head, he pressed the umbrella handle into the boy's hand.

"I'm going home, you do whatever you think is necessary. All I ask is that you do not freeze to death. You know where my flat is and as I said before, the sofa is open," he said before turning on his heel once again and heading back home.

He'd done everything in his power to help the boy, but he was so infuriatingly indecisive and vague that there wasn't much else he could do.

Snake's lip quivered before he bit it again and watched William walk off. He really didn't want to return to the manor, but his serpent friends were all there, except for Oscar, and it seemed his only other option was to go with the man walking away from him. But William seemed so angry…as if he really did not wish for Snake to come over…an empty invitation given out of…moral obligations, perhaps.

He turned sadly away from William and continued to walk; he would have to go back to Ciel's estate and gather his friends and few belongings before leaving and finding a new place to live and work…and he would have to visit William once more to return his belongings.

William was cold and now his neck was getting wet from the snow. He frowned, pulled his collar up to protect against the snow and shoved his hands in his pockets. As he did so, he realized he did not feel his keys. Of course! He'd switched coats just before leaving the building because he'd wanted the boy to have the heavier coat...and he'd left his keys in the one Snake now had. He must have been more tired than he realized. He hadn't gotten far yet, perhaps a few hundred yards, so he turned around _again_ and dashed after the figure of Snake.

"Snake!" he called out. "Wait a moment!"

He jogged up to the young man.

"I left my keys in that coat," he said as he approached.

Snake paused and looked at William again before nodding and silently sticking his hands in the coat's pocket in search of the keys. He frowned and checked for other pockets before looking up apologetically, "…Not here…says myself…"

William frowned again as he searched his own pockets again and came up empty as well. Perhaps they'd fallen out in his rush out the door. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't a problem as he had a spare hidden, but that would be the third key he'd lost this year and he'd have to get the lock replaced _again_. This night was turning out far more troublesome than he ever imagined.

"It's fine," he sighed as he looked at the young man again. He looked absolutely miserable and William wondered if he would be able to withstand a scolding or a possible confrontation with the demon. He highly doubted it. He also didn't understand why he cared at all. None of this was his problem...but Snake looked like a very sad abandoned pup and that nagging sensation told him to offer his place to the young man one more time. No, not offer. Insist.

"I do not know what your intentions are concerning your job at this point, but you certainly are not at risk of losing the information you were so concerned about," William said as he reached out and grabbed Snake's hand. "Regardless, you do not look like you could handle going back there right now. You are coming with me."

William tugged the hand in his own to start walking back in the direction of his apartment.

Snake nearly dropped the umbrella as he was suddenly grabbed by the hand and pulled, He blushed slightly, a little warmth returning to his cheeks as he obediently followed in silence.

He trudged back through the snow in silence, taking shelter under the umbrella with Snake, but he did not feel the need to strike up conversation. He was too cold and tired to even grit out pleasantries. Once they arrived at his building again, he retrieved his hidden spare key from a false brick in the wall and hurried inside, shaking off the snow as he went. Upon entering his flat, he peeled off his many layers and hung his coat, jacket, and scarf before gesturing for Snake to do the same. He shivered and moved into the sitting room to stoke the fire once again.

He looked over at the boy again, noting that his lips were looking blue again and beckoned him to come over to the hearth.

"Tend the fire while I draw a hot bath for you. Honestly..." he muttered under his breath and ventured into the washroom to do just that. If he'd asked, he knew he would have gotten a shy or vague response. It was just faster at this point to tell the young man what he would be doing. Once the tub was filled, Will walked back out into the sitting room with a spare set of pajamas in hand and pointed towards his bathroom.

"The bath is ready, straight through there. Towels and necessities are set out for you," he said holding out the clothing.

Snake had built the fire back up with ease, and carefully set Oscar in front of it to warm up. He sat next to the coiled snake and waited shyly. When William returned he gave a small nod and took the offered pajamas and getting up, pausing before walking to the awaiting bath, "….Thank you…says myself…" he bowed his head and walked to the bathroom, stripping out of his clothes and folding them neatly before slipping into the tub.

William knew it was insane to let someone he barely knew sleep on his sofa for the night...especially a former carnie. But, he also knew he didn't really own anything of value so there was no danger of having anything stolen that couldn't be easily replaced, and he couldn't be murdered in his sleep...not to mention the boy had looked like such a sad stray he didn't have the willpower to turn him out. It wasn't exactly a habit of Will's to bring home strays, but he'd done it more than he cared to admit. He could look at it that way. He was temporarily taking care of a stray. That was all.

While Snake bathed, he put on a kettle for tea as it was far too late for coffee and he wanted to get the chill out of his bones. Once he had mug in hand, he moved to sit on the floor close to the fire himself, letting the heat seep in when he noticed that Snake had left behind his companion. That was probably for the best. The serpent was lucky it wasn't dead from the cold and staying on the warm hearthstones would help him? Her? considerably.

He raised an eyebrow as he sipped his tea and looked at the coiled up serpent. "Your master is a fool," he said to the snake, knowing full well he wasn't going to get an answer but he felt better voicing his opinion for whatever reason. "He should have stayed here if only to spare you from the elements."

Oscar lifted his head, silted eyes studying the shinigami for a moment before he gave a small hiss, seemingly agreeing with the man's words, but did not hiss further as the one person who could translate was not there. He rested his head upon the heated stones, continuing to soak in the warmth.

Snake didn't stay in the hot water longer than he had to, getting out quickly after washing himself and soaking in the warmth so that he was comfortable and no longer shivering. He dried himself off and slipped into the pajamas William had leant him. The bagginess of them made him look smaller as the pants had to be rolled up several times so that he wouldn't slip on them, and he had to pull the drawstrings tight. The shirt went down almost to his knees and the neckline barely hugged his shoulders. He grabbed his clothes and hugged them to his chest after cleaning up the bathroom, leaving everything neat and dry before walking back out to the sitting room and standing shyly near the couch. He bit his lip and watched William drink his tea.

William had been about to reach out to see if he would be permitted to touch the snake's slick scales when he heard the boy enter the room again. He paused and looked up, noting how sad and vulnerable the young man looked in such oversized clothes. Yes. He was certainly a stray.

Will stood up and gestured to the sofa before heading off to the kitchen again returning shortly with a fresh mug of tea and handed it to the young man.

"Keep warm," he said before again heading off, this time into his bedroom to grab a pillow and spare quilt, moved out to the sitting room and plopped the quilt and pillow onto the sofa. All he wanted was to go straight to bed and burrow under his own warm quilts, but he knew the young man was still likely upset. Will was only offering him a place to stay, not someone to confide in. He was terrible with handling emotion. He intended to leave Snake to his thoughts, but with how quiet he was in his devastation, it made William slightly concerned and gave him the awkward desire to offer a bit of comfort.

"I know I seem harsh," William said lamely. "But I am capable of listening if you wish to talk about anything."

There. That was the best he could do.

Snake shook his head and Oscar gave a hiss, "It's late…and you have helped so much already, Suit…says Oscar."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me William?" he asked with a sigh, but he was too tired to argue further.

"Fine. I shall go to bed, then. If you find you cannot sleep, you are welcome to any of the books or if you are hungry, you may have what you like in the kitchen."

He turned and headed towards his bedroom.

"Oh, and please keep your pet away from the rabbit crate," he said, pointing at the crate in the corner. "I'm sure she's too large to be eaten, but I honestly do not know how she might react to a snake. Good night."

He trudged into the bedroom, closed the door momentarily to change into his night clothes, then left it cracked open again before collapsing into bed.

Snake nodded and curled up in a tight ball on the couch, pulling the blanket up to his chin. His yellow eyes watching the flames in the fireplace until they drifted shut and sleep took him.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

William was woken up by the shrill ring of his alarm clock and he batted it to the floor in his attempt to shut it off. He blinked groggily and pushed himself up and out of bed, pushed on his glasses, and looked over at his calendar, noting that he was actually scheduled to have the day off. Well, then he didn't need to get dressed immediately and he could take his time with breakfast...perhaps even indulge in a rare treat. Of course, wandering out into the sitting room, William was reminded of his unexpected guest.

He looked at the boy as he slept, curled up in a tight little ball and wondered if he'd gotten too cold through the night. As quietly as he could, he moved to the fireplace, adding a few fresh logs to the embers to get it going again, then moved on to the kitchen where he started preparing breakfast.

Snake's eyes slowly fluttered open and he looked around, The lack of Emily hissing in his ear to get up alerting him to the fact that he was no longer at the Phantomhive manor. Slowly, he sat up and rubbed his eyes before looking down at Oscar who was curled up next to him. The snake gave a quiet hiss, and pointed his head over in the direction of the kitchen before moving to perch on the boy's shoulders.

Snake stretched and got up, shuffling quietly to the kitchen and watching as William moved around preparing breakfast. Oscar urged Snake with another small hiss, "…Morning…says Oscar."

William looked over his shoulder and blinked, still a little groggy and mumbled a weak "Good morning." as he waited for his coffee to finish percolating. He hadn't bothered getting dressed at all, so he was still in his pajamas, having not even bothered with his robe, and his hair was still tussled. He gathered various plates, utensils, and ingredients, preparing to throw together a simple meal.

His coffee was ready shortly and he dropped everything to pour two mugs, already partially filled with cream, sugar, and other spices for his favorite cold morning indulgence. He stirred both then took one and sipped, a small groan of pleasure escaping his throat from the warmth and the slight burn chasing it.

"Here, this will warm you to your core," he said handing over a steaming mug to Snake.

"…Thank you, Su—Thanks…Says Oscar." Snake said, stopping himself from calling the man by his circus name as he took the offered mug from him and sipped the warm drink. A small smile appearing on his lips at the pleasant taste.

The near slip up didn't get past William and he appreciated the correction. He gave Snake a nod and noted the tiny smile on his lips. Well that was a first. He'd never seen the boy smile. Ever.

"Are you a fan of Irish coffee, too?" William asked offhandedly with a raised eyebrow as he went back to preparing breakfast. "Most people do not enjoy a bit of whiskey in the morning, but the cream, sugar, and spices hide the taste and only leave the burn. I believe it is a perfect way to wake up."

"I…never had any before…says Oscar…" Snake said, blinking as his head started to feel fuzzy and leaning against the counter for balance.

William sipped more of his coffee as he cooked eggs and sausages, feeling more and more alert as the coffee worked into his system.

"Does it taste-" William paused. He had turned his attention back to the boy for a moment and saw that he was leaning against the counter. "Are you alright?"

"Mmfine…" Snake said in a low voice, his cheeks flushing drunkenly, "Feel funny…says myself…" his words began to slur together.

William pulled the frying pan off the burner and approached Snake, taking his chin between his fingers and tilted his face up to look him over. His face was flushed and his gaze was a little distant, like he was-

"Are you drunk?" William asked, hardly believing that someone could possibly get drunk from a sip of Irish coffee.

"…Drunk..?" He asked, swaying slightly and falling against the reaper's chest.

"Yes, drunk. It's-"

But William was interrupted by the young man falling against him. He automatically caught him by putting arms around him and wondered what the hell just happened.

"Snake? Do you need to lie down?" he asked then frowned at himself. Of course the boy wouldn't give him a straight answer, so William hefted him up into his arms and carried him out into the sitting room. The blanket and quilt were still all askew on the sofa so he tried to pull them tidier but Snake's dead weight made it difficult and he wound up tumbling them both onto the cushions, landing on top of the young man.

Snake moaned and looked up at William with wide eyes, Oscar slithering off his shoulders quickly and making his way down to a safe place on the floor, watching the two curiously.

The young man's lips parted, another strange, foreign feeling overtaking his body, one that ignored his mind's protests, and his shy personality, making him push himself up on his elbows, pressing his lips to William's.

What was happening? Why was Snake kissing him? He had been about to push off with an apology and suddenly their lips were mashed together and William was not only pressing back, but he was putting his arms around the young man's waist to pull him closer.

Wait. No. He couldn't be doing this.

He broke the kiss and shook his head as if to clear it, wondering what had possessed him to reciprocate at all. He looked down on the young man's flushed face and hazy eyes before Will's own eyes wandered down to his shoulder and chest, noting the skin exposed due to the overly large shirt revealing milky skin and shiny patches of scales. He was so lithe and now warm from Wiliam's insistent care...Oh, that was why. He was beautiful and warm and very, very close and William had not lain with anyone in quite a while.

But Snake was just a stray. It wouldn't be right to do this to him... Even as he thought that, his lowered his lips to the young man's again.

What was he doing? Somewhere in Snake's mind he knew he never did this, hell, he didn't even know what _this_ was. His body moved on it's own, pressing up against William's, his hands running over the reaper's shoulders, his face flushing more as a small moan escaped his lips.

William really liked the sound of Snake's moan and found himself driven to pull more from the young man's throat. As he moved to settle himself between the younger man's legs and grind against him softly, he slid his tongue into the other's mouth to give him a deeper kiss, groaning softly himself. His hands snuck up under the baggy shirt to caress over the skin of Snake's stomach and sides.

Snake gasped and gripped William's shirt tightly. He rolled his hips up against William's movements. He ran his slitted tongue against Will's loosing himself to the feel of the man on top of him.

He was surprised by how eager the younger man was, but if he was drunk, that would explain a lot of it. The thought made Will slightly uneasy, but he couldn't deny his attraction now. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed how handsome Snake was, but it was purely an aesthetic appreciation until he felt those soft lips against his own. Now, he wanted to run hands all over his unusual skin, make him pant and moan...but if he _was_ truly drunk, then William shouldn't take advantage of him and pinning him against the sofa gave the young man really no choice but to comply. That was easily fixed.

In one swift movement, William wrapped arms around the young man's waist, rolled to his side, and pulled Snake to settle on top of him so that the young man was straddling his hips. There. Now he had some choice in the matter. Satisfied with the circumstances, William pulled Snake back into another heated kiss as he rolled his hips to grind up against the lithe body above him, hands gliding under his shirt, pulling the drawstring loose on the pajama pants to dip fingers beneath the cloth and knead over the small of his back and hips.

Snake shivered as William's hands glided over his skin, It felt so good to be touched by him, to feel smooth, soft human skin against his, rather than the hard scales of his serpent friends' skin when they were in his clothes. He moved his body to press against that soft flesh as fingers slid over his back and around to his hips, pressing against a patch of scales. He stiffened, giving a sharp gasp as a tingling wave of pleasure shot through him from the touch. "Ah…"

That was an interesting reaction. William continued kneading and caressing over the young man's back and hips with one hand as his other hand dove down the front of the loose pants and gripped the straining erection there. He gave a few firm pumps before he, too, started to get lost in the sensations. With a soft growl, he pushed his own pants down his hips to expose his member and brought both of their shafts together, drawing a hiss and a sigh from his own throat as he gripped and pumped them together.

"Ah—" Snake hid his face in William's shoulder, muffling his sounds of pleasure. He rolled his hips, grinding his length against Will's in his hand, lengthening the stroke. He slid his hands around the larger male's body, hugging himself to him. His leg slid down along the reaper's and hooked around it. He still didn't understand, but he couldn't stop, so he may as well continue and let whatever this was continue…it felt so good…

William bit his lip with a groan at Snake's reactions. For being so shy normally, he certainly was a sensual young man and it excited William in all the right ways. He squeezed and stroked their lengths harder and faster, rolling his hips to aid with the friction, groaning and trembling slightly. When Snake's arms wrapped around him and the young man's leg hooked around his, he nearly lost it and pumped them at a frenzied pace, his own moans growing louder and longer until his breath hitched, his back arched and he spilled over his own hand while still stroking to bring Snake to his own climax.

Snake followed almost immediately after, crying out into William's neck as his senses were overcome with the sensations William was giving him. He hugged the man's torso tighter as his load expelled between them, mixing with William's own mess. He relaxed on top of the reaper, panting. His hand twitching slightly.

William gently released them both and wiped his hand against his shirt, too sated and content to do much else at the moment. He had _really_ needed that. He found his arms wrapping around the body atop him and his eyelids felt heavy as he drifted into a light doze, somehow not caring about anything at all but the comforting warmth of the young man and the euphoric sense of relaxation.

Snake's eyes closed, his mind still a soft buzz from the alcohol, but his body was his to control again. He rested on William's chest shyly, slightly horrified over what they had done, the noises he had made…

"I had no idea Irish coffee could have such an effect on someone," William said, breaking the silence but not breaking his embrace on the young man. He was too comfortable. Unless Snake indicated he wanted to be released, William was content to just lay like this.

"I'm sorry…says myself." Snake muttered softly, hiding his face again.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry?" he asked idly tracing his fingers over Snake's back "I thought it was pleasant. Entirely unexpected, but pleasant nonetheless."

The he froze as that disturbing thought crept into his mind again.

"You...wanted to...didn't you?" he asked cautiously.

He gave a shy nod, "I…I don't know why…but…but I wanted to…but…" he bit his lip in a pause, "I never…did that before…says myself."

William took on a displeased expression hearing that Snake didn't know why he'd done it, wondering if the young man knew it was slightly insulting to say something like that, but he probably didn't. The boy was being frank but he was incredibly nervous and confused. Will shook away the frown that was forming.

"Then there is nothing to be sorry for," he said with a nod, still not letting go though he knew breakfast was long cold by now.

The frown didn't escape Snake's notice, and he looked down, had he said something wrong? Probably. Speaking for himself had never been a strong point for him. Words never came easily, and here was the proof. He fell silent, feeling like he wanted to just curl up and disappear.

Why did it seem like William had done something wrong? Why did Snake seem so melancholy? Before he could stop himself, he moved his hand to stroke fingers through Snake's hair. It was so soft and silky it reminded him of petting a cat.

"Do you regret it?" William asked carefully, softly.

Snake shook his head, still not letting himself speak. It was the truth; he didn't regret what they did…he regretted what he had said. Just when had he gotten so comfortable around this man? He had had to speak for himself at first because the cold had put Oscar to sleep and the serpent hadn't been able to speak for him. But just now…Oscar was awake and still in the room, though a quick glance showed that he had moved over next to the fire again to give them a little privacy. He was there, yet Snake had relied on himself for words…

Will was admittedly relieved when Snake shook his head. He wasn't sure what he would have done if the boy had said he had regretted it...

"Good," William said with a nod. "Then come here."

William took Snake's face in his hands and pulled him into a soft kiss to chase away that sad look he really didn't like seeing on the young man's face. Will didn't comfort anyone, not even himself, but there was something about Snake that he just couldn't leave alone.

Golden eyes blinked before closing as he relaxed into the kiss. He still didn't know why, but he was definitely starting to be drawn into this man. He wanted his touch, to be close…to feel his lips… Hesitantly, he slid his arms around William's chest again and hugged their bodies closer.

William much preferred when Snake seemed at ease. He knew he wasn't the best at inspiring that in people, but he could try a little harder for the young man's sake, he supposed. He was developing a little fondness for him, after all, and concessions could be made to be more tolerant, more understanding.

William broke the kiss to pull back and ask if Snake was ready for breakfast by saying: ' _I think I've kept you waiting long enough_...', but what came out was: "I think I'm going to keep you."

Snake blinked at William's words, his face going bright red. "K-Keep me..? asks myself."

William blinked just like Snake did. Did he really just say that? Admittedly, he'd developed a slight feeling of responsibility for the young man since taking him in last night. He really was like a stray in Will's mind. He was alone. Will was alone. He didn't find his company unpleasant, just slightly irksome with his shyness, but Will could tolerate that.

"I meant to ask if you wanted some breakfast," William said lamely. "But, considering all of the trouble I've gone to already, I might as well keep you until you are fine on your own."

That sounded reasonable, didn't it? And, why did his face feel hot?

Snake's lips formed in a circle as he soundlessly mouthed a single word; ' _Oh_ ' He should have known that was what the man had meant…why had he thought differently? Why had he hoped the man actually wanted to keep him around…that he actually liked him? He pulled back and glanced over at Oscar who looked back with a sigh-like hiss. "I can help finish breakfast…says Oscar."

"We should probably clean off first," William said as he moved to sit up, but Snake was still straddling him. As he sat up, he felt the young man go to move off of him, but before he really knew what he was doing, his arms were around that thin waist and his lips were against the other's again. As if to make sure he would stay.

What was _wrong_ with him? Yes, it had been longer than he cared to admit since he'd had someone, but he was never this affectionate...he never felt the need to keep touching and kissing afterwards, regardless of the act. It was like he had been a finicky eater all this time and he'd finally found something that suited his palate. It was instinctual to seek out more.

' _What…wait, what?'_ Snake couldn't make any sense out of anything that was happening…just what was this man doing? Thinking? …wanting? He felt the urge to push William away and yell, demanding to know what he was thinking…if the man actually wanted him or was just playing with him.

Of course he wasn't able to give in to that passing urge, instead he leaned into the kiss, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as his hands slowly and so very hesitantly slid around the other's neck.

The young man was tense again and William ran hands up his back to try and soothe him. He must have been confusing the young man badly, and if he'd never really lain with anyone in any capacity, then this must seem extremely strange...being so affectionate, then nonchalant, then tender, then matter of fact, then suddenly affectionate again. Usually, William didn't care enough to notice how he was treating others, but it was so easy to read Snake. And he did care, but he was getting in his own way and doing it all wrong.

William wanted him. Plain and simple. It wasn't anything more complicated than that. He wanted to keep the boy close. It explained why it was so easy for him to take him in, in the first place, why he'd offered his home, why he'd chased after him, brought him back, offered comfort, and fell into his arms so easily. William just wanted him.

He pulled back from the kiss and rested his forehead against Snake's, closing his eyes as a blush took over his face.

"What I really meant to say was..." he paused to pull back slightly and look into Snake's soulful golden eyes. "May I keep you?"

Again, Snake's emotions seemed to leave him behind, taking another sudden turn at William's simple question. The tears that prickled the corners of his eyes pooled and fell down his cheeks and again his body moved on it's own, leaning forward against William's and throwing off their balance, sending them back down into a laying position. If hardly anyone had shown that they wanted Snake to stay, that they didn't mind his presence, then it had never happened that someone had asked him to stay. Making him feel, for the first time, that he was actually wanted, and not just a temporary guest and worker.

The young man hid his face in William's shoulder, his tears making two small wet spots on his pajama top before he managed to choke out a quiet answer; "Y-yes…says myself…"

William was surprised to find himself on his back again, but not at all sorry that it was because he had Snake still on top of him.

"There's no need to cry over it," he said softly. "I am not the best with words, I know, but I can be decent company."

He reached his hand up again to pull fingers through his soft white hair.

"We do not know one another...but I can't seem to leave you alone. I...don't want to leave you alone."

Oscar lifted his head and hissed, "You are better than words than I am…says Oscar." Snake said, blushing slightly beneath his tears. It was far too true. He bit his lip and turned his head to look at the mesmerizing green and yellow eyes behind rectangular frames, "No one…n-not even mother…ever…w-wanted me before…I…I am not crying…s-says myself."

He knew it was a sad truth for many children to be abandoned and mistreated in this day and age, especially if they were unusual in any way. If Snake had been born with the looks he had, then it was no surprise his mother had been less than affectionate.

"Idiot," William grumbled before he could stop himself. "Not you," he added. "Your mother. If she couldn't do the simplest job of a parent then she had no business being one. But that doesn't make you undesirable. At all."

He turned his gaze to Snake and reached up to brush a thumb over the trail of wetness left on Snake's cheek from his tears.

"And perhaps there aren't tears now, but there were," he said softly as he pressed his lips to the boy's cheek. Then he quickly shifted Snake to roll out from beneath him and sit up, facing away with his ears turning extremely red.

"Let's eat breakfast before it gets any colder," he said quickly as he stood and looked down at himself. "After we clean up a bit."

Snake nodded and bit his lip, drying his eyes and cheeks on his sleeve before standing up again. His mind was still fuzzy, but he had regained his balance. He decided he wasn't a fan of Irish coffee, it make his mind dizzy…though it did allow him to act more openly… he pulled the drawstring on his borrowed pants tight again so they wouldn't fall as he followed William to the bathroom where they used a wet cloth to clean up.

After cleaning up, William got dressed for the day and lent some clothes to Snake, though they were far too big.

After dressing, he headed into the kitchen, salvaged breakfast, and took it out into the sitting room to eat as he only had one chair at his kitchen table. After handing Snake his plate, Will sat next to Snake on the sofa and ate.

"I assume you do not wish to return to the Phantomhive manor?"

Snake shook his head, "But…my other friends are there…says Oscar." He looked down at his plate, and picked up a piece of bacon and offering it to Oscar who had returned to his shoulder. "They worry…says myself."

"I meant in a working capacity. I understand that you must return to retrieve your things. And by friends I assume you mean more serpents and not those servants, correct?"

He nodded, "Like to keep us all together…says Oscar."

William sipped his coffee and looked at Snake askance.

"If you are going to stay here, it should not be a problem for them to be here as well if they're well behaved. How many?"

"Thirty-two of us…says Oscar." Snake said, biting his lip.

William nearly dropped his mug at that.

"Th-Thirty two?!" he said with wide eyes as he looked around his small apartment, then over at Oscar. "Are they mostly Oscar's size or smaller?"

Snake blinked and picked up William's mug, "Oscar, Wilde, and Emily are the largest…says myself."

"Oh, good," William sighed with apparent relief. "If they were much larger I would not have room. They can fend for themselves, I assume?" William sat back on the sofa, "And since I assume you no longer wish to work for the Earl and the circus is disbanded, what do you intend to do with your life?"

"We can…" Snake said, then looked down, "I don't know…Jobs are hard to find…but…but I'll try…Says Myself."

"There is not a rush. You have been through quite an experience and sometimes looking ahead instead of back is the best way to move on," he said looking away. "I noticed two of your snakes are named Oscar and Wilde. Is that after the poet or mere coincidence?"

Snake blushed, "I…I like to read…all my friends…are named after wordsmiths…says myself." He said as he cleaned up the spilled coffee and rinsed the cloth he had used in the sink before turning around and looking up at the older male.

"Thank you," Will said as he watched Snake clean up the spilled coffee.

"If you are a fan of reading, why not seek out work in a bookshop? Or perhaps a library?"

Snake looked up at him, it was clearly written on his face that he hadn't ever thought of that possibility. In fact, he had thought he'd only be able to get another job that would exploit his looks, like the freak show or circus, unless he got lucky like he had with becoming a footman. Dancing, performing, serving…he was capable of each, but to do something he actually enjoyed? Working with books, or even music… "I…I'd like that more…than my other options…says myself."

"Other options?" William said with a raised eyebrow. "You have every option open to you. You may have skill sets in other areas, but you are not restricted to seek employment in only what you know. But if that interests you, I will assist in helping you find work. I know the elderly gentleman that owns the bookstore nearby is always seeking help."

"Really..? asks myself." He said, perking up a bit.

"Yes," William nodded. "He complains that he hires chatty people and I doubt that would be an issue with you. We could go speak with him after breakfast. I need to run some errands as it is and as I said, the shop is near here so it would not be out of the way."

Snake nodded, "We can help you if you want, as well…says Oscar." He suggested, "Or…should I go back to Smile to get my friends and tell him I won't be back..? Asks…myself."

"You do need to inform the Earl at some point. Would you like me to accompany you?"

The young man lowered his gaze, shyly, "If…If it's not too much trouble…Bl-Black can be scary sometimes…says Myself."

"Yes, he can be quite...aggressive," William said with a slight sneer. "I will accompany you if you wish."

"…You sound like you do not like Black…Says Oscar." The young man observed, but gave a nod of his head, accepting the offer of being accompanied to the Phantomhive estate.

"You could say we are...business rivals of a sort," Will said, his lip curling in slight distaste. "I do not find his presence pleasant in the least, but I am able to be cordial and polite when necessary."

He stood and took his plate to the sink.

"If we are to call on Mr. Michaelis, I believe it would be best to do so earlier in the day. Shall we go?"

Snake nodded, silently wondering what occupation William held to be rivals with a butler. But he wasn't going to press the issue. He took his plate to the sink and cleaned it quickly before hurrying after William to the door.

Soon enough, they were on their way to the Phantomhive residence.

"Remember to be assertive, Snake. You are your own master and Mr. Michaelis nor Lord Phantomhive can intimidate you unless you let them."

Instead of going to the front door, Will decided the servant's door would be more appropriate and he knocked.

* * *

 

Sebastian was in the kitchen, trying to salvage the burnt roast that the cook, Bardroy had butchered. The poor poultry had been burnt black nearly all the way to the bones, but it wasn't a complete loss. The demon butler managed to make a change that afternoon's menu and was in the middle of incorporating the small bits of chicken into the appetizer; changing it to a chicken salad cristini.

Upon hearing a knock at the door, he set down his work and dried his hands on a pristine towel before walking over to the door and opening it. He spotted Snake first; "Snake. We were worried about you, where have you—"

There was someone with the young footman; someone with the strong smell of death. Red eyes snapped to catch the green gaze of William, his small smile taking on a sinister feel to it. "I see you have brought home an old friend of ours. Good to see you again… _Suit_."

William raised an eyebrow at the demon's smirk.

"I wish I could say the same, _Black_ , but it is far more rude to lie," William quipped. "I am merely here to provide moral support for Snake here. He has something he wishes to express to you and to Lord Phantomhive."

"Admirable, but unneeded, I am _sure_ you are far too busy to accompany our young footman back to us and wait around while he tells us the reason for his disappearance. If nothing else you have that red subordinate of yours to control." Sebastian reached an arm out and wrapped it around Snake's shoulders, pulling the young man against his chest, never once taking his eyes off the shinigami.

Snake stiffened at the touch. The butler had never done such a thing before, and it made him uncomfortable; it wasn't like William's touches. "Ah…" he tried to pull away, but the demon held him in place.

With Snake so close, he could smell it better; the scent of the reaper was all over the young man, along with traces of their morning activity. This made him narrow his eyes, his fake smile disappearing, "Unless, of course you are the very reason for his disappearance, causing him to get so far behind in his duties." He wasn't stupid; he knew very well what had kept the snake charmer away. But he wanted to know why. And just how deep this was going.

Sebastian knew that Snake wouldn't protest; he was far too shy and innocent for that so he saw nothing wrong with playing a little; "In which case You do owe us a few hours worth of work, but as you're kind is very much not welcome in my Master's house, I'm afraid it will have to be added to our dear Snake's punishment." He held Snake tighter to his chest, his free hand sliding over his torso and around his hip to his thigh. He leaned down, nuzzling the soft white hair with his nose, all the while watching for William's reaction.

"Bl-Black…" Snake gasped in shock, not bothering to add 'says myself' to the end.

"Oh come now, Snake, you had to have known you'd come back to a punishment. Had I not promised you one if you were to disappoint me again? And oh, how you have disappointed me in more than one way." He purred into the boy's ear.

William had expected biting words to be delivered back and they did not affect him in the least. However, he had thought it was strange for the demon to draw Snake closer to him. He felt his jaw clench when Snake tried to resist and the demon would not release him. His eye twitched as the demon ran hands over him and spoke so unfairly while Snake looked so uncomfortable. Of course when Snake sounded downright distressed, his lip curled up in a sneer.

"Get your hands off of him, demon," William growled lowly, his eyes burning with hatred as he glared and his fists curled tightly at his sides.

"Oh? And why should I do that? He is my master's servant, and my subordinate. What gives you the right to demand such actions?" He smirked and took his game a step further, quite entertained over the reaper's possessive reaction. His tongue slid out from between his lips and ran up along Snake's cheek.

"Bl-Black…St-stop it! S-says myself!" the footman demanded in a low, shy hiss.

That was enough to make the demon pause; the boy spoke for himself? "How strange."

"He does not wish to serve your master any longer and he _isn't_ yours!" William snapped stepping forward to rip Snake out of the demon's grasp and shove the boy behind him to get in the demon's face, almost insane with anger. "He's _mine!_ "

Sebastian straightened back up to his full height, looking down at William with an un-amused look, He stepped closer, reaching out and grabbing William's tie, pulling him inches away from his face, "His soul is not in danger from me, so if you are trying to prevent yourself paperwork, you can drop it and go about your business. However, if you are meaning he is yours for your own hidden lustful desires, look elsewhere. Just because you find a boy in the snow, take him home and _fuck_ him doesn't make him yours." He growled in warning, "And trust me when I say a reaper like _you_ would not be at all interested in a creature like _him_." he glanced past him to Snake, "Get inside. I'll talk to you later."

' _A creature like him?'_   Hurt pierced through Snake as he heard the Butler's words. He stood up straight and squared his shoulders, "No. I want to stay with Sui—I want to stay with William…says myself.

"Now is not the time to speak for yourself, Snake. Get inside, now." The demon turned back to William, "Run along, reaper. I have no time to entertain uninvited guests."

William held the demon's gaze unflinchingly even as he was tugged closer. His mind reeled with anger and he didn't understand where it was coming from or why it was so intense, but the demon had no right to speak so disrespectfully about the boy.

"Mind your tongue when you speak, demon, or you might lose it," William growled. "My reasons are beyond the understanding of a parasite like you. Snake has his own free will and is capable of making his own decisions. He doesn't need the likes of you or your master attempting to control his life by keeping him in secrecy and servitude. He came to inform you of leaving your service because I informed him about the fate of those from the Noah's Arc circus.

"We can settle this peaceably if you concede to allow his serpents to leave, or, we can raise a commotion as I will _not_ be leaving without Snake," William said lowly as he reached into his jacket to retrieve his smaller back up scythe but did not extend it, he simply wished to show he was armed and ready to fight. He knew it would be dangerous and possibly fatal to take on a demon on his own without having a safety net. He was off today, no one would suspect he could be in danger, but he could not just stand by and let the innocent young man get trod on.

"…Could it be…" the demon pushed William up against the wall, pinning him with his body, "That you love him?"

"L-Leave William alone, Black!" Snake all but shouted, Oscar hissing threateningly afterwards.

"Ah yes, I'm not surprised you fell in love, leading such a lonely life is bound to make you fall hard for someone willing to spend the time with you…but this one…?"

Will grunted as he was shoved against the wall and it took every ounce of control not to skewer him. If he drew first blood, then he would be to blame if things went south. Not to mention, he really wanted to avoid a fight if he could. He was on the demon's turf, and he had those damn mercenary servants on his side.

"I will not play your games, demon! This has nothing to do with me," William spat, pressing his scythe to Sebastian's side. "And do not even allude to speaking ill of Snake."

"Snake, if you leave…you can not come back. No matter what happens to you when this… _rodent_ leaves you because of it, no one here will help you." The demon warned, "Go gather your things if you are leaving while I talk to your friend here."

Snake bit his lip and ran into the manor to gather his few belongings and his friends, finding them all a warm spot to travel in.

Sebastian turned back to William once Snake had gone, "You will leave him. I already know it. It'd be best for him if he stayed here with me."

"What do you care about his personal life? What he chooses to do with his life is his business and I am merely giving him the opportunity to be able to live freely. I am taking responsibility of him until he decides what he wants. If he decides he wants me to be a part of his life, then all the better for me, but even if not, I do not abandon my responsibilities."

"Are you so cut off from emotions you don't know when it's biting you in the face? You got the kid to fall in love with you. Did you not hear his yelling a moment ago?" he pressed himself harder against William, "Should have left him alone. Now he won't leave you unless you force him out. Which you will. I already know it. It's who you are." He smirked, "You don't change."

William growled as the demon pressed against him further.

"Why are you so damn convinced I will abandon him?" William spat. "Do not dare to presume you know me, demon! It is none of your concern!"

"You will. You'll see." The demon smirked, sliding his gloved fingers up the reaper's arm, over his shoulder and up his neck before grabbing his chin, "I may not know you, but I know your type. If you are going to open up to someone, you should stick to your own kind. Maybe Sutcliff. He's just as crazy about you as he is for me. Maybe then he'll stop coming around." He leaned in, turning William's head and nipped down hard on his ear before running his tongue along it's ridge and whispering, "I don't know the young master's reasons to keeping Snake here, but I had my own reasons. Just remember that." He turned his head and looked into the kitchen and released his captive, stepping away right before Snake appeared, hugging a few serpents in knitted tubes to his chest to help keep them warm as he stepped out in the snow.

William glared coldly at the demon as he dared touch him. If he reacted, it would just make things worse, but his skin crawled and he was sorely tempted to spit in the creature's face as he continued to spew his poisonous words. It didn't matter what Sebastian thought on the subject. His interest and goading was so unusual and slightly disconcerting. William couldn't fathom what the demon had against a reaper taking care of a mortal. It was common enough. Perhaps he was just trying to get a rise out of William. That was the only thing he could think of.

When the demon nipped his ear, Will almost lost it and stabbed him, but held himself back as Sebastian finally released him

"I don't care what your reasons are, you conniving, deplorable-"

But William cut himself off when Snake appeared. He scowled and brushed at his ear as he approached the boy. He felt filthy and desperately wanted a shower, which would be his priority after getting Snake and his serpents back to the apartment.

"What can I help you carry?" William said through gritted teeth, trying to keep a hold on his temper so he wouldn't accidentally lash out at the boy. The anger wasn't directed at him at all.

Sebastian slipped back into the kitchen and closed the door.

Snake looked up at William, becoming aware of the man's bad mood. He held up one of his bags, the one with his few belongings in it, keeping all of his serpent friends with him

"Come. Let's hurry back. I need a shower," Will grumbled as he took the bag and started heading back in the direction of his place.

Snake nodded and followed close behind, hugging his friends close until they reached William's apartment again. Once inside, he let his friends out of the bag, hissing softly to tell them not to spook William's pet rabbit.

Will headed straight for the shower after letting Snake inside. He was still reeling and he desperately wanted to wash away the taint of the demon's touch on him. He scrubbed furiously until he was satisfied, redressed, and went back out into the sitting room.

"You may shower if you like," he offered, looking around at the snakes slithering everywhere. He hoped the apartment would remain warm enough for them and wondered how they would fend for themselves, but he trusted if an issue arose, Snake, or more likely, Oscar would let him know.

"Bathed last night…says Oscar." Snake said from the floor next to the hearth, a book open in his lap. He closed the book and got up, setting it on the coffee table.

Will's eye twitched.

"Yes, but that _thing_ touched you-" William stopped himself as he realized he was overreacting. If it didn't bother the young man, then that was fine. He knew he was particularly twitchy when it came to demons and Snake had no reason to be prejudiced.

"Never mind," he said with a shake of his head. "I need to go shopping, but we can stop at the bookstore on the way..."

The boy didn't have much in the way of belongings so there was plenty of room in the closet and bureau for those. He looked over at his bedroom and wondered how they were going to make sleeping arrangements. Snake was so slight, they could possibly share the bed, but frankly, William was not comfortable sharing a bed with another person...sleeping in the sitting room might be slightly uncomfortable, but at least he could be near the fireplace and stay warm.

"Was the sofa comfortable for you last night?"

Snake nodded, "Better than the cots at the circus…says Oscar." Snake said, frowning. William really seemed to hate Sebastian. It was strange, he had referred to the handsome butler as a thing, yet he treated Snake as a person. It made him curious as to the situation between the two men.

"Good," William said with a nod. "You may put your belongings where you wish. There is room in both the closet and chest of drawers. As for sleeping arrangements, I believe remaining on the sofa is best for you. This way, you have the heat of the fire to keep you warm at night."

Again, the boy nodded and grabbed his bag, quickly finding a spot for everything then he walked out to William with some of his savings in his pocket, "Can…we stop someplace where I can get a new coat? …asks myself."

"Of course," William said with a nod. That was a perfectly reasonable request. He had lent the boy a coat this morning, but having his own would be necessary.

"One moment," William ventured into his room and came back out, approaching the young man to put a heavier scarf around his neck. It was a gift from his well meaning neighbor who sometimes took care of Mary for him, but the lady had knitted rabbits into it and Will couldn't possibly wear it himself. But it seemed warm and it didn't look all that strange on Snake.

'That will keep you and whoever you wish to bring with you much warmer."

Snake smiled and wrapped the long scarf around himself more so that half his face was hidden by it. Then he lowered his arm to the floor to let a snake who had chosen to go with them go up his sleeve. "Thank you, William…says Emily."

There he went smiling again. Why did it seem so special when he did? And it was always for little things, as if basic comforts like a hot drink and a warm scarf were novel...then again, they probably were in Snake's case. And if they weren't, then this might be the first time he could enjoy them without worry of motive. Will remembered how long it had taken him to warm up to his uncle again after his own years of neglect and servitude and it was amazing that Snake was so trusting.

To hide his blush at the sight of the young man being so charming, William busied himself by bundling up for the cold again before heading to the door.

"Come, let's go," he said as he headed out, letting Snake follow behind him before locking up and heading out to shop for the coat first.

Just before they left the coat shop, William stopped Snake. "Here," he said softly as he placed a pair of brand new black leather gloves in Snake's hands. "It's too cold to be without them," he said crisply and left quickly without saying anything more to continue on with his errands.

Snake followed William around town, helping him with his list of things he had to do, only rushing off once when he spotted a vender selling some of his friends' favorite snacks which he hardly ever could find; purchasing some and hurrying back over to where William was.

William had been expecting that he would need to keep an eye on Snake as he seemed so vulnerable before, but he realized there was no need. The young man was quick and efficient, didn't linger, he was obedient, and he was polite. No wonder he had made such a perfect footman.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

With the rest of the errands completed, William led Snake to the bookshop he'd mentioned before. It was a pleasant little shop with shelves lined with brand new books all neat and orderly. He went ahead of Snake to speak with the shopkeeper as he was familiar with the man and his...attitude.

"Mr. Tatum? Where are you, sir?"

There was a grumble and an angry snort from further back.

"Wot the 'ell you want, Willy? I still ain' got them bloody magazines you fancy so _piss off!_ I'm readin'!"

William sighed and shook his head, leading Snake towards the back of the shop where order quickly degenerated into chaos. There were much older books lining the messy shelves here, some even in stacks on the floor. Behind a particularly precarious tower of books there was an open office door where an unassuming elderly man lay lounging on the floor with a book on his chest and looking up at William with disinterest.

"No, Mr. Tatum, I was wondering if you'd gotten rid of that stupid Bartholomew boy yet and needed another attendant to put up with you?"

Mr. Tatum sat up and spat into his spittoon before climbing to his feet to glare at William.

"That kid was a right bastard. Always talkin' an' the little bugga was filchin' from me till! I stabbed him right good an' he quit on me. So, yeah, I'm lookin'. Why? Ya wanna fill me shop wif yer trashy dime novels?"

William was quite used to the man's gruff demeanor and merely shook it off.

"Arthur Conan Doyle is not trash, but that isn't the point. I have someone who might be willing to work for you," William said as he stepped aside to reveal Snake.

Mr. Tatum lurched forward and peered at Snake with a discerning eye.

"Wot the 'ell, Willy? He some kinda freak? Escape from the circus did he?" The old man said, making Snake flinch and look down, unsure of himself.

"No, sir. He's just unique, but I can assure you he is a very hard worker."

Tatum looked at Snake skeptically.

"What's yer name, boy?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"S-Snake…says…says myself…" The young man said in a quieter voice than normal, though he managed to say it before Emily had responded first. He looked up at the man nervously.

Tatum narrowed his eyes.

"You talk weird," he said flatly and crossed his arms.

"Well, he doesn't like to talk much anyway, you don't like chatty assistants, and he's a fan of reading, himself, unlike most of the idiots you hire," William said crisply.

" Oi! I'm _lucky_ ta get blokes who know their letters. Can't expect no college boys ta work fer the salary I can afford," Mr. Tatum snapped at William then turned his attention back to Snake. "If ya like readin', who's yer fav'rite author?"

"I never went to school, sir… But I like many writers' works… Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde…for some…says myself." He said.

"I got no tolerance fer the bollocks these new writers try ta pass fer literature. Wilde included. But Dickens, eh?" Mr. Tatum smirked. "Which ya think is better? David Copperfield er Tale o Two Cities?"

William rolled his eyes. "Is this really necessary, Mr. Tatum? Isn't it enough to know-"

"Stuff it, Willy! I gotta know the boy's taste."

"D-David Copperfield, Sir…says m-myself." Snake said.

Mr. Tatum blinked then guffawed, reaching out to ruffle Snake's hair.

"That's a good lad!"

"He meets your approval, then?" William asked with a raised eyebrow.

"'Course! Anyone who fancies me fav'rite read deserves a chance at least, yeah?" Mr. Tatum laughed. "Ain't got no shop experience, do ya boy? Ah, well, I'll teach ya. When ya wanna start? 'Morrow?"

Snake gave a small smile and nodded, "Thank you, sir…says myself."

"Bah! Be 'ere 'bout 8, alright? Now get the hell outta my shop!"

With that, Mr. Tatum rushed Will and Snake out of the shop and locked the door behind them.

"That went well," William said blandly as they walked back to his flat. "Do you think you'll be alright working for someone so...rough?"

Snake nodded, "He's just moody…says Emily."

"To say the least," William scoffed. "But it is quite fortunate that he hired you. Come, let's return."

* * *

 

Over the next few weeks, William settled into living with Snake. It took a little bit of adjusting at first, such as remembering to buy food for two, remembering to look before he sat down so as to not sit on one of the snakes, buying another chair for the kitchen table, and learning to accept the fact that he would randomly find serpents in random places. Snake did his best to tell them to behave, but William couldn't really get angry about it since they were just seeking out warmth. Oddly enough, Mary took to the snakes very well and didn't seem to mind them in the least. William had been worried when he went to let he out of her crate one morning and found her practically buried in serpents, but she was perfectly fine and since then he'd often find her curled up with several of the little creatures.

Other than that, it wasn't much different than how he had lived before. He kept an erratic work schedule though he did try to come home at a reasonable hour so as to not wake Snake since he lived in the sitting room. He would speak politely with the young man, inquiring about his day and the like when he wasn't too tired, though since that first morning, they hadn't touched. Snake also tried to be helpful by assisting with chores, but the most William willingly conceded was allowing him to do their shared laundry. It was difficult for the busy supervisor to do it when he worked such long hours and it truly was a great help for Snake to do it. Still, that didn't stop Snake from doing a few things here and there, especially when William didn't grouse too much about it.

One particular week, William was more bedraggled that usual. It was the end of the month and the end of the quarter. Reports of all kinds had piled up on his desk as well as there being an influx of trainees due to the annual trade between the academy and the offices of newbies and those needing to return for continuing education. Meaning, Will had to clean up a lot of messes. He hadn't had time to sleep, having only gone home twice in the last five days, and he was hoping the young man was doing alright. That night, he'd been forced out of the office by Knox who stole his office key, locked him out of said office, and refused to give it back to him until the next day. William was actually too tired to argue and let Ronald win the round.

He trudged home and intended to choke down some leftovers before he took a shower and collapsed into his bed. It wasn't too late, only eight in the evening when he finally walked through the door after not having returned in two days.

Because William hadn't been home much, Snake kept eating leftovers until he found that he had finished them. He couldn't cook many things, but he did know a few meals that he had learned while he was a member of the circus. He took a quick look around the kitchen to see what was available. After the quick inventory, he began to make some chili. It was one of the dishes he was good at making, and it was so warming for such a cold winter evening. It also kept good so if William didn't manage to get home that night until late he would be able to heat some up. He prepared everything and set it to simmer, taking the time to clean up his mess and curl up by the fire with a book that Mr. Tatum had grudgingly allowed him to borrow.

Mary and many of his friends all curled up around him while he read silently, waiting for the chili to finish cooking.

William shook the snow out of his hair and hung his scarf, coat, and jacket, grumbling under his breath about useless subordinates, kicked off his shoes and was about to make a beeline for the kitchen when the sight of Snake curled up in front of the fire stopped him. He didn't want to seem rude.

"Good evening, Snake," he said politely. "I apologize for not being home lately. Unfortunately this work week has turned out rather more troublesome than I anticipated. If I leave you a list and some money, could you do the shopping? I don't know when I'll get around to it."

Snake looked up from his book and gave him a smile, "It's nice to see you, William. Welcome home…says everyone. He closed the book and set it on a table next to the lamp he was using for light and stood up, "I can shop after work tomorrow…says myself." He added with a nod.

William paused awkwardly at the greeting from Snake. He still hadn't gotten used to being welcomed home, but a small part of him liked the polite greeting, even if it was just out of courtesy.

"Thank you," he said with a nod. "I appreciate it. Now, if you will excuse me, I have had a very long few days and I am going to eat, shower, and sleep."

He nodded again to Snake and headed for the kitchen with the intent to scrounge up something, but there was a glorious smell of something simmering on the stove that caught his attention.

"We are out of leftovers, so I am making chili…Says myself." Snake said walking into the doorway of the kitchen behind William, "But it won't be done for a half hour yet…Says Goethe."

He was going to fix something quick to eat for himself, but the pantry and ice box were practically bare. "I see," William said lamely. "Again, I apologize. Should the need arise for unforeseen expenses I keep some cash tucked away in the copy of Tom Sawyer in the bookcase."

He'd expected Snake to make his own meals when Will couldn't make it home and told him as much, but he hardly ever partook of what Snake made himself. It felt strange to him to let someone else take care of him in any capacity, but tonight he was so weary, he didn't want to think about much of anything.

"Then I'll change the order of things and shower first then join you for dinner..." he paused to clear his throat, his cheeks going slightly pink as he was feeling a little self conscious. "...if I may?"

Snake had said he was cooking, not that he was willing to share and William didn't want to assume he was allowed to.

Snake blinked in surprise and nodded. He had assumed that any food he prepared would be shared. But the way William seemed to ask made it clear that the older man didn't assume the same thing. He bit his lip and looked down shyly, "I made extra in case you came home tonight…says myself."

He felt significantly better when Snake answered and his face cooled, "That was very considerate of you. Thank you." he said as he passed by Snake on his way out of the kitchen and clasped his shoulder for a moment. "I'll join you shortly."

With that, he hurried off to his much anticipated shower.

Snake finished preparing the meal and took it off the heat to cool slightly. He then set the table, pausing as he set out spoons next to the two matching bowl, wondering why he was suddenly excited to have dinner. They had eaten together before, and while it was true that William had spent the better part of the past week working, this dinner shouldn't be any different. In reality, the only real difference was that he had made the meal, even if it was a simple one, and not William.

Again Snake paused, napkins in his small pale hands, that was it, wasn't it? He was sharing a meal he made with the man. And he was nervous…hoping the man would like it. He blushed at the thought and set the napkins down. What strange feelings. And what did they mean? Turning his attention away from thoughts about dinner, he focused on William, his cheeks reddening more. The man was kind and thoughtful, in his own way, he had never once judged him by his strange skin, or the fact he could somehow understand and communicate with snakes better than people, and he was quite handsome…

He felt scales brush against his bare ankles and he looked down to find Carole looking up at him as if she knew exactly what he was thinking about. She raised her head along his leg and hissed; _'You like him.'_

William took his time in the shower. He felt disgusting having not been able to shower for two days and he wanted to scrub his skin pink . Once he was out and dried, he didn't bother fixing his hair and he changed into his pajamas as he had no intention of going anywhere, though he left the shirt unbuttoned as he felt a little warm.

He wandered into the kitchen and yawned, but stifled it when he realized Snake was already waiting for him. He'd even set the table nicely. The smell of food made his stomach growl and it made his cheeks go pink again.

"Apologies," he said softly. "But, thank you. You didn't have to go to all this trouble, Snake."

Snake looked up from Carole and shook his head, "Just got done…says Carole." His cheeks were still bright, but he hoped they weren't noticeable as he casually sat down, trying to hide the fact that he had been thinking about William right before the man showed up in the doorway with his shirt open, showing off his chest.

As Snake sat down, William pulled out his own chair only to find a little serpent curled up there. He couldn't tell which one it was as he had a terrible time telling them all apart, but he raised his eyebrow at it. They seemed to have this habit as if they knew he was going to be sitting sometime soon and they wanted the warm spot once he left. Like staking a claim. Or, more likely, they knew they'd get a warm lap to curl up on in the interim.

"You're a cheeky little thing, aren't you?" William said as carefully picked up the little snake, slid into his chair, and set it on his lap so that he could scoot in and eat. He liked animals quite a bit and the presence of so many didn't really bother him. It was just a part of his life now.

"Thank you again for cooking, Snake," he said as he started to dig in. He was famished and the chili was hearty and filling. He slowed down so as to not make himself sick and looked up at Snake.

"How are things going in the shop? Is Mr. Tatum being reasonable?"

Snake nodded, eating silently, "He's happy unless noisy customers come in…or someone asks for a newer book…Says myself."

William rolled his eyes at the mention of the mention of the crotchety old shopkeeper's behavior. "Well, so long as he isn't being too difficult."

William was about to take another bite when he heard a knock at the front door. It was a bit late to have a visitor, not that anyone ever visited him, but it could be a neighbor in need of something.

"Excuse me for a moment," he said as he dabbed at his mouth with his napkin, moved the snake from his lap to the chair and made his way to the front door. Upon opening it, he was greeted by the sight of none other than Grell Sutcliff who shoved a paper bag in his face with a tittering laugh.

"Oh, Will~! I'm so glad you're home! Ronnie told me he locked you out of your office and I felt so bad for you working so hard this week, I decided to bring you something to eat!" he said with a bright smile then noted Will's disheveled state.

"I didn't wake you up, did I?"

William blinked at the redhead and wondered what had possessed him to come by and bring him food. Then again, some things he just had to take in stride when it came to the red reaper, "No, I was actually just eating with-"

Grell pushed past him and strode into the flat without remorse, not waiting for Will to finish explaining himself, but when he caught sight of the snakes piled on the couch in front of the fire, he screeched.

"What the bloody hell, Will?! Why are there a bunch of snakes in your apartment?!" Then he saw the rabbit amongst them. "HEL'S FRIGID TIT! WHY ARE THEY EATING ON YOUR FURNITURE?"

Snake got up, hearing yelling from the sitting room and shyly peaked around the doorframe at the redhead.

One of the smaller, younger snakes became startled by the sudden yelling and he slithered quickly from her spot near the fire to Snake, nearly tripping the heal-clad reaper in his hurry to the mortal who scooped him up into his arms. He hugged her to him and stayed half-hidden. The redhead was incredibly intimidating.

"Sutcliff, first of all, they are all well mannered and they are not eating the rabbit. They're obviously too small. Second, I didn't-"

"Oh thank Rhea, I thought you'd lost your mind! It just isn't _like_ you to allow that sort of thing. But why do you suddenly have a bunch of snakes? You aren't a snake person."

"They're not mine," William sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, getting irritated that he was being ignored. "Grell, I never-"

"What do you mean they're not yours? Who's are they?"

"Grell! I did not invite you in!" William snapped.

"Oh pfft!" Grell waved him off with a flick of the wrist. "Like that matters. Who's snakes are they?"

William groaned in irritation, his tiredness was not at all helping with his very limited patience.

"My flatmate's. Now, I appreciate the thought of trying to feed me, but we were in the middle of dinner-"

Grell rounded on William with wide eyes.

"F-flatmate? WHAT?"

"Yes. Flatmate," William said crisply.

"B-but you said you never wanted to live with anyone! When I asked, you told me no!"

"There were special circumstances in this case, not that it is any of your business," Will said crossing his arms and going to the door to show Grell out.

"Like hell it isn't! Flatmate my arse! Who is it? What bit of tart is moving in on my territory?" he snarled as he headed straight for the kitchen and caught sight of Snake peeking shyly around the door. "Who the bloody hell are you?"

Snake stumbled back a few steps. The redhead was terrifying with his shark-like teeth bared in a snarl; like an angry tiger or lion. In reality, it reminded him very much of the time when Beast had lost control of Betty the tiger during her training and the large cat went on a rampage. The difference here was that this bright red person was not caged in like Betty had been.

"I…I…" he paused to swallow nervously, "S-Snake…says Mark."

Just who was this rather loud and upset person? He looked familiar, as if they had passed each other on the street once, but he didn't know him. And just why was he so angry at the fact that Snake was staying with William? He bit his lip, the redhead had said something about wanting to live with William before, and he had brought some dinner to William…were they together? The thought was heart-wrenching. Of course; Snake had never even thought to ask about his flatmate's personal life…Maybe he was stopping them from spending time together. He lowered his gaze to the floor, maybe he should try and find a small place to live that he could afford?

Grell's insane anger slowly melted away taking in the sight of the shy, quiet young man.

"What? Mark?" Grell said with a raised eyebrow as he looked him up and down. "Why are you talking in the third person?"

"Sutcliff, leave him be," William said lowly with obvious warning as he approached.

"No, no! I want to know what the deal is with Mark here," Grell leaned in closer with a bit of a smug grin seeing the boy look so scared and meek. His grin widened as he reached out to poke him.

William's eyebrow twitched as he tugged on Grell's hair and yanked him away from Snake.

"Mnnah~! I love it when you do that, Will~!" The redhead winced and chuckled as he took the opportunity to rub up on William, which the supervisor took in irritated stride.

"His name is _Snake_ , not Mark, and I took him in because he had nowhere else to go. Is that satisfactory? Will you leave now?" William scoffed and pushed the red reaper off of him.

"I was silly to be worried that maybe someone snatched you from me, but he's just a boy! One of your silly little strays!" Grell giggled, obviously not worried anymore. "But this is no kitten or pup, Will. I didn't know you had an ounce of compassion for humans."

"There is a lot you do not know about me, Sutcliff, now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to-"

"He's a pretty little thing, I'll give you that," Grell said, obviously ignoring William again as he sauntered up to Snake once more. "Wanna come home with me some night, Markie?" the red reaper asked as he tapped his nose.

Snake's voice wouldn't come to him for a moment, the redhead, even when he wasn't fuming, was overwhelming. He was starting to wonder how anyone could be around the redhead for long.

"N-not Mark…Snake…says Mark." He managed to say after what felt like an hour of looking at the person William called Grell.

Grell's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he took Snake's chin between his fingers to look into his eyes.

"Got more than one person in your head, have you?" Grell said as he studied him carefully. "Are you a bit of a loon?"

William again strode forward to pull the red reaper away from Snake.

"No," Will sighed. "His name is Snake. Mark is the little serpent there hiding in his collar. That is just how he communicates. The snakes speak to him and he translates. What is so hard to understand about that?"

Grell tilted his head and spotted the little snake that was hiding.

"Ah~! I see!" he chirped, then thought for a moment and turned to Will with a serious expression. "Will...? What kind of human speaks to snakes?"

"A special one?" he replied sarcastically. "There are a whole host of probable reasons why he can, but I don't know the exact one and I honestly don't care! Now would you _please_ let me get back to dinner?"

"It was just a question. I wasn't accusing your little stray snakeling of anything," Grell shrugged and approached Snake yet again, lazily looping his arms around the boy's neck and pressing close against him with a pronounced pout on his lips. "You're just a sweetheart, aren't you? Darling Will is so silly, working himself to death, and he's deliciously cruel. He won't let me stay, but you'll take care of him for me, won't you?"

Grell circled a finger on Snake's chest for a moment then suddenly smashed their lips together in a firm kiss as he growled. That was it for Will's temper.

"OUT!" he yelled as he grabbed Grell by the back of the vest and tore him away from Snake. He dragged the giggling red reaper to the door and unceremoniously tossed him out into the hallway before slamming the door shut.

"Don't cheat on me, darling~!" Grell's muffled laughter called from outside as the sound of his footsteps indicated he was leaving.

Will glared at the door for a few more moments then turned to Snake and approached him.

"I apologize for his rude behavior," he said. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Ah—" Shake stood frozen in his spot, his face slowly darkening. He pressed fingers to his lips and looked up at William, then down at his feet, shaking his head. Grell's words confirmed his fears; William was involved with the loud forceful redhead. Why else would he have said the things that he did?

And yet…the redhead had kissed him… _him_ not William. That was confusing. Was that why William had gotten so angry? He was mad that Grell would kiss someone other than him?

Snake looked rather shell shocked and William couldn't fathom why...except for Grell's insane behavior. He'd gotten so used to it that it hardly phased him anymore. It still irritated the hell out of him sometimes, but it never surprised him. The way Snake looked down it made Will wonder why he seemed so melancholy. He moved closer, reached out, and crooked a finger under the boy's chin to make him look up.

"Welcome to my world," he scoffed softly. "This makes you and I comrades in arms. Sutcliff only does that to people he wants and he'll proclaim you as his own no matter how much you protest. He thinks he can have whatever he wants, but that simply is not true. I will not let him abduct you, I promise," William said softly and gently ran the pad of his thumb over Snake's lips.

Snake's eyes snapped up to look at William, "You…he's not…your…" he paused, unable to come up with the right word for humans; "…Your mate..? Asks myself." He asked, his face fading to a softer pink.

"Me? And _Sutcliff_? No!" William said looking slightly mortified. "I'll admit we have a strange relationship, but it is nothing like that! I tolerate his flirtatiousness because it is impossible to break him of it."

Snake breathed a sigh of relief, William wasn't with the red person…but…that didn't mean William was single, did it. Again he looked down, timidly talking in an even quieter voice, "You…" mark nudged him with his nose in encouragement, "Do you have a mate? …asks my—Mark?" he forced out, too embarrassed to admit it was himself that wished to know.

"No," William said with a small shake of his head. "I've no time for a significant other."

He wondered why Snake was asking such a thing. Perhaps he was worried he was getting in the way?

"If I did find someone, I would not bring them back here, if that is what's troubling you. But I am not looking, either."

That much was true, but why wasn't he? He had a healthy sex drive and would at least go out and find someone to sate it with periodically. However, since Snake had started living with him, it hadn't even been on his mind. Though, now that he was close to the young man again, he couldn't help but notice how charming he looked with his slight blush, his lips still slightly pink from Grell's assault, and he remembered just what sounds could come from that throat...He was subconsciously moving closer, his fingers sliding across Snake's cheek and he was sorely tempted to erase what the maniac redhead had done when a telltale tapping snapped Will out of his reverie.

He shook his head to clear it and looked towards the bedroom where the source of the tapping was. He looked back down at Snake and pulled his hand away from his face quickly.

"Apologies," he said as he stepped back and quickly headed into the bedroom. The tapping was coming from the window and he immediately rushed over to open it and allow the pigeon that was tapping inside. He quickly shut the window behind it and read the message attached to it's leg. With a weary sigh he folded up the paper and set it on his dresser before digging out fresh clothes and getting dressed again. Once clothed, he walked back out into the sitting room.

"I must return to work," he said, obviously tired but dedicated to fulfilling his responsibility. "I apologize for interrupting our meal, but I am grateful for it nonetheless."

A Saddened look spread over Snake's face, the man didn't wish to find a mate? He felt another pang of hurt in his heart. He realized just what he had been hoping…that the man would have told him that he was without a mate, but was looking…for Snake maybe.

Mark looked at him and hissed softly; _'it's called love.'_

Snake looked up at William, unable to hide the hurt look on his face, and nodded, "Don't…work too much tonight…says…Mark."

"I do not have much choice in the matter, but I appreciate your concern," William said softly. He took a moment to return to the bedroom to let the pigeon back out and grab his wallet. He also stopped at his desk in the sitting room to scrawl out a short list of necessities and handed it to Snake. "Please remember to do the shopping tomorrow and I will be back as soon as I can. Thank you."

He bundled up and left.

After going back to work, he managed to catch an hour or two of sleep on the couch in his office, but he suffered a splitting headache the next day and could not shake it off. He was forced to stay at the office again and only got two hours of sleep. There was only one day left to the trade between the academy and the offices so he stayed one more night to make sure everything ran smoothly. By the end of the second day after three nights of sleeping in his office, he was a wreck and he knew it. He felt the itch of a cold as he coughed, sneezed, felt achy and irritable and insanely tired. He outright refused to stay another night and ducked out before five o'clock so he could go home and rest. Snake was not yet home, so he showered, ate a little something, and crashed hard, completely forgetting to set his alarm.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Will stirred due to a sunbeam hitting his closed eyes. Everything ached, he couldn't breathe, and everything was hazy and too hot. He groaned and snuggled back into the blankets when his heart suddenly raced as his fever addled mind tried to make sense of what was going on. The sun was hitting him meaning he'd slept too late and the cows still needed to be milked, the chickens fed, water needed to be drawn...so many things and he still had contracts to draw up at the office! He tried to sit up and found he didn't have the strength, his chest hurt and he couldn't think clearly...

Not again...

"...Mary..." he groaned hoping his sister would hear him and at least come help him out of bed. He lay there for a little while before feeling impatient. He would need to see the doctor again, but he couldn't very well call for him, himself. "Maryanne Catherine!" he said louder, using her whole name to get her attention as he was shaken by a painful cough.

Though he was being controlled by delusion and memory, in reality William was indeed speaking out loud, but his voice was weak and wheezy.

Snake was already up and had just gotten out of the shower. He had been given the day off so he had let himself sleep in. He blinked, hearing a weak voice wheeze out a call. Had William not gotten up and left for work yet? It was strange as William, when he was home at night, would usually be gone by the time Snake woke up, or was on his way out the door when he did. So he had assumed he was home alone with Mary and his many friends. He pulled on a pair of clean pants that he had sleepily grabbed from the closet without taking time to look at William's bed.

Timidly, He walked out of the bathroom, his towel around his neck to stop his white hair from dripping water onto the floor and cracked open the door, peaking in; William was indeed in his bed, his cough sending Snake onto high alert. Without invitation, he pushed open the door and walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at the bedridden reaper. "…William? Are you feeling all right..? asks myself."

Wiliam cracked open his eyes and saw a blurry shape of someone standing at his bedside, but it definitely wasn't Mary. She wasn't that pale...and that definitely wasn't her voice.

"You're not Mary...You're..." he paused to think, finding it incredibly difficult to do so..."Mine. You're Mine."

He looked at the figure blearily and another coughing fit took him. It frightened him and he needed a doctor.

"Where's my sister?" he asked weakly.

Mary? The rabbit? No…Maybe there was another Mary in his life…his sister perhaps? How was he to know where William's sister was? The man had never talked about her before, and she had never visited him, though that wasn't surprising, seeing as he was almost always at work. Snake blushed at being claimed by William, but the man was indubitably ill, and was probably unaware of what he had called Snake. So he chose to overlook it, that wasn't what was important anyway.

"I…I don't know…says myself…but…" But what? It wasn't like he could go find her. He could only assume her name was Mary Spears, unless she was married. But he could try to care for him. Shyly, he reached out and pressed a hand to William's face, growing alarmed at how hot he felt. He yanked his hand away and ran into the bathroom, filling a basin with cold water and grabbing a cloth, returning to the bedroom.

The person...young man... seemed just as confused, but where was Mary? What? Who? He coughed and tried to make sense of what was going on. His chest burned horribly, he couldn't think clearly... Then there was a cool hand against his face and it felt soothing and wonderful, then it was gone. Why was he leaving?

_No! Don't go! Don't leave me alone!_

He wanted to reach out and grab him. He didn't want to be alone! Not like this! If he couldn't see or hear anyone, then he'd be trapped in that horrible endless darkness again! He whimpered and tried to call out but couldn't.

Snake set the wash basin on the bedside table after moving William's glasses, the book, and the lamp that sat upon it to make room. He dipped the cloth in the cool water and wrung out the excess to dab on William's face gently, trying to bring his temperature down a little.

"Don't leave me alone..." Will said weakly, a little pathetically. "Please..."

Snake continued to dab cool water onto William's face, "…I won't…says myself." Snake said soothingly, then looked down at Emily who had slithered in after him. He smiled at her.

The gentle snake had always been the one to never leave Snake's side each time he had fallen ill, and here she was offering to stay with William. He gave her a small nod and she slithered up the bedpost and onto the bed curling up next to the reaper, her cool scales soaking in the heat radiating off his body. "Emily won't leave you either…Says Emily."

But at the same time; Snake knew he didn't know much about caring for the ill. It was all he could think to do to cool him down and maybe make him some hearty soup for when he was hungry. What if he needed a doctor? It wasn't like the man had a phone like Ciel did in his manor. No, He would have to run for help…himself; he couldn't just send Oscar out as the doctor wouldn't be able to understand him without Snake to translate.

As Snake tended to him, Will's temperature dropped slowly and as it did, a little more clarity came to the reaper.

White hair, yellow eyes, soft voice...he knew them. They were new in the scheme of things, but familiar...Snake. Mary wouldn't be here. He wasn't on the farm. He wasn't dying again, though he vaguely wished he was as he felt so awful...he was just sick.

Again.

If he had the strength to sigh, he would have, instead, he turned his face and looked up at the young man. He just wanted the pain in his chest to go away as it was uncomfortably familiar.

"La-" he was interrupted by a painful cough. "Laudanum. Medicine cabinet. Directions on bottle," he wheezed.

Snake nodded and lay the cool cloth across the man's forehead before rushing off to the bathroom and opening the cabinet there wasn't much in the cabinet so it was easy to find the right bottle. Normally the medication took nearly twelve hours to prepare, but he found that the bottle contained the mix of spices and opium already finished properly; only needing to be dissolved into the alcohol. He rushed into the kitchen and followed the remaining directions carefully, then went back to William's room to give it to him.

A nasty hacking fit took William and he had to fight with himself to calm down as panic threatened to take over. He knew he didn't need to breathe. He was not going to die. Phlegm and fluid were just irritating his lungs and needed to be cleared. He _knew_ that's all it was, but it still made him tremble as memories waited on the periphery to take him back to his deathbed. By the time Snake came back with the medicine, he was shaking. Snake had to help hold the glass as he swallowed it down gratefully, not even minding the bitter taste. He lay back against his pillows and shut his eyes tight as he willed himself to get control of himself again.

It took a few minutes, but he was finally calm enough to open his eyes and look at Snake.

"S-sorry," he whispered, not wanting to speak loudly for fear of triggering another bout of coughing. "And thank you for your help."

Snake shook his head, "Rest now…says myself." He said, making sure William was laying back against the pillow comfortably. And checking his temperature again. He took the damp cloth and re-wet it for William. His fingers brushed momentarily through William's dark locks to push them back out of his face before putting the cloth back on his forehead.

William nodded as he felt the laudanum starting to kick in. He felt a little sleepy and his chest felt much less tight as his breaths became shallower. When Snake stroked fingers through his hair, he tried to press into the touch.

"What time is it?"

Snake looked around and grabbed William's pocket watch, opening it, "…Ten in the morning…says your watch." He said, setting the watch back down in it's spot next to William's glasses

' _Since when does Snake speak watch? Oh, wait, no...'_ William shook his head as his tiredness grew and his cognitive function lessened.

A loud knock sounded at the front door, startling Snake slightly, "Rest…says myself." He said before walking to the door and opening it.

"Hey, Senpai, I was won—you aren't William-senpai." A young man that looked close to Snake's age said. He had a bright smile, and hair that was blond on top and black underneath. The man leaned back, looking at the number on the apartment door and frowned slightly, "I'm sure this is the right place…unless he moved…" he muttered then looked at Snake again with a smile, "Sorry…but there doesn't happen to be a William Spears here, is there? He never showed up for work and it really isn't like him to play hooky so I came by to make sure he didn't work himself into a comatose or something."

Snake looked at the boy, "…William is sick…says Wordsworth."

The blond sighed, "Oi, Why am I not surprised? I knew he was working too hard. Shoulda taken more than just his office key the other night… But hey, the name's Ronald Knox. What's yours?"

"Snake…says Wordsworth." Snake said.

Ronald chuckled, "You have a cute way of talking, Snake. Can I come in?"

Snake nodded and stepped aside to let the blond in who ruffled his hair before walking back into the bedroom, "Hey boss. Heard you worked yourself to death."

William had heard Snake answer the door and he was speaking to someone...thank goodness it wasn't Grell. He shuddered in horror thinking of what the redhead would do to him while he was so defenseless. Or worse, still, what he might do to Snake! But, no, the second voice was the bright and chipper tone of Ron.

"Not dead..." he said intending to sound flat and displeased, but it came out wheezy and a little pathetic, "I was going to...do...something...about this. Pigeon. Was going to send pigeon. A pigeon. Clancy."

"No need, I can tell your secretary to mark off one of your vacation days for ya when I get back. Just don't go falling into a coma on us. You really do need to sleep more. Next time I'll take more than your office key if you don' start sleeping at night. Oh and don't forget to breathe, Ya don't want Snake here to think you died on him." he chuckled, glancing over at the boy watching from the door. Then he looked down at his watch, "hate to have only bothered you for so short a time, but I got a collection to get to. Get some rest, Senpai."

"Can't, not breathe," William wheezed tiredly. "Don't wanna, but I have to...Go on! Get!" His eyelids were so heavy he could barely keep them open.

Ronald rolled his eyes and chuckled, "I'll try and not tell Grell you are bedridden. Hate to imagine what he may do to ya." Ronald said as he left, flashing a smile at Snake, "Hey, make sure he rests. That's really all he needs at this point."

Snake nodded and watched the blond disappear into the hall before the door was closed. Then he returned to the bedroom.

William caught sight of Snake as he came back into the bedroom, and his delirium was coming through again as sleep tried to suck him under.

"Don't let Kenneth in here," he murmured softly before his eyes drifted closed and sleep stole him away.

He was victim to fitful dreams of his past and he would babble seemingly random nonsensical things as he dreamed. If Snake left his side for more than a few moments, he'd fling his hand out in search of him and would calm once the young man touched his fingers or face.

Snake stayed by William's side throughout the day; leaving only to use the bathroom or cook some soup. He didn't know if he should wake William to have him try and eat some or not, so he chose to wait to see if he woke up on his own. Eventually, the sun set and Snake, still in the chair he had brought from the kitchen, fell asleep, bent over and cradling his head in his arms that were folded atop William's bed.

William woke and cracked open his eyes. He didn't feel much better, but he didn't feel the need to cough. That was a good sign...But he was cold. He shouldn't feel so cold as he was buried under blankets, but he did to the point that he was shivering...and the room was dark. He looked around and saw that Snake was still there at his bedside and all he could think of at that point was to grab the boy's wrist and drag him under the covers with him.

Which he did.

Snake seemed to resist at first, but William pulled until he complied. As soon as Snake joined him, William spooned him, shivering horribly, but the young man's warmth started seeping into Will's skin. He buried his nose in Snake's soft hair and his scent seemed to help calm Will as his shivering started to taper off.

Snake hadn't awoken fully when he was pulled into the bed, mentally unaware of the move, but it was suddenly warmer, and a small smile touched his lips as he snuggled up against William, letting out a soft sigh as he drifted back into his dreams.

William fell back into a deeper, more peaceful sleep as he held Snake in his arms. His dreams, while still centering upon his past, were of sweet soothing things and his pain seemed to drain away as his heartbeat and breathing matched those of the young man in his arms.

It was late into the evening…or rather, early morning, before he began to stir. His fever was gone, but he was still half dreaming and he found he quite liked the warmth pressed up against him. The smaller frame fit against him so nicely and was warm and sweet. This wasn't Mary or Kenneth he held, no, this one was _his_. He groaned softly as his hands sought out skin to touch, his fingers sliding up beneath his shirt to touch and pet. His nose was buried in soft pleasant smelling hair which he nuzzled and nosed lower until he was nuzzling the back of the young man's neck.

"Mmhahh…" The young man moaned, starting to wake up slightly, becoming more and more aware of the hand sliding over his chest, and the nose and lips nuzzling his neck. He blinked his eyes open, when had he gotten into the bed? And what was William doing? He blushed and slowly rolled over, golden eyes falling onto William's face.

William cracked open his eyes when he felt movement and the body in his arms shifted. When golden eyes turned to his, it was the most natural thing in the world to press forward and cover those pale lips with his own as his own eyes slid closed again. That's what he was meant to do, right? Right...The hand that had been caressing over the young man's chest, moved to caress over his back and down his spine as he kept their lips connected gently.

He hummed softly as his fingers splayed over the boy's lower back and pulled him closer so their hips were flush together. He applied more pressure to the lips against his own and softly darted out his tongue, seeking permission to take the kiss deeper.

It was too easy for Snake to get lost in the kiss, parting his lips and meeting William's tongue timidly, his hands sliding around the man's shoulders…How he wanted this to last…

But something was wrong…he forced himself to break the kiss, his cheeks burning, "I…I thought you didn't want a mate...says myself…" he muttered weakly.

William kissed him gently, losing himself in the feel of the other's lips and tongue, like he'd always had this, like he was always meant to have it... But then Snake spoke, and William automatically thought: ' _Mate...But you are my...Mate...'_

And he tried to go back to kissing, but his mind kept going, telling him there was something important going on here.

' _No...you don't have a mate...you have...flatmate..._ _ **Snake!'**_

His eyes shot open as he blinked and was pulled out of his hazy half dream by horrible realization. He had Snake in his arms and was kissing him! He jumped slightly and wondered what he'd done and _why_. How could he take advantage of Snake like that? And why did that bother him so much?

"I'm sorry!" he said as he blushed brightly and freed Snake from his embrace. "I didn't know I was-! I wasn't trying to take advantage of you!"

Snake's lip trembled slightly, and he bit it, Oh how deep down he was hoping that William would have responded with; 'I lied, I want you as my mate.' But of course it hadn't happened… Even if the man did want to possibly have a mate, it wouldn't be him.

He hated it when Snake bit his lip like that. It meant he was nervous or upset, and William hated being the cause of it. Of course he'd be upset. He'd taken care of William out of the kindness of his heart and how had Will repaid him? By dragging him into bed, using him like a body pillow, and kissing him without permission...and Snake was probably going to fall ill now, too, because of William's inability to control his fever addled brain. But then he remembered what Snake had said...something about not wanting a mate? He'd been so horrified by his behavior that he'd not answered to the boy's accusation. He could at least give him that...

"I never said I did not want a mate...it's just that I have not been looking because..." he trailed off, unsure of the answer, "Because..."

Because why? Ever since Snake had come into his life, he hadn't felt that need to fill a void in his life by seeking out temporary comfort from strangers. Even though they never touched, the little moments they shared were far more meaningful than the countless one night stands he'd had over the years. He didn't need that because he had...

Oh no...

Snake felt his heart start to flutter, he was doubtful, but at the same time, he had that hope again. One last time…just for this one last time he would let himself hope upon what the next words would be.

"Because..?" He asked, in a short breath, not even bothering to add a declaration of speech at the end, even though Emily was right there, curled up on the bed watching over the two of them like a mother would her ill-fallen children. Unlike when he normally spoke his own mind, which as of late had been more often than it had in the past, it felt natural to say just that one, singular word, It had come without thought, slipped silkily from his lips on a breath before he had time to register that he was about to speak. And now it was out, suspended between them in the silence of the moonlit room. And then it dawned on him that maybe, just maybe, he did need his proclamations of who was speaking… "…Asks myself."

It didn't escape Will's notice that Snake had asked without adding on his normal indicator of who was speaking. He'd never heard it before and it was both strange and telling. Snake must really want to know the answer as well. But what if he was asking out of fear? What if he felt obligated to go along with William's whims because the reaper was taking care of him and was afraid he'd get tossed out if he didn't? Then Snake identified who was asking...and William knew he owed him an answer.

"...Because I have you," he said softly and quickly.

The boy's heart leapt in his chest and his cheeks burned at hearing what he had wanted to hear. His throat choked up, blocking any words that may have wanted to escape, and he flung himself forward with only slight hesitation, hugging himself to the man's chest.

William wasn't quite sure what to make of Snake suddenly being against him. He couldn't see his facial expression before he'd moved.

"It doesn't bother you?" William asked carefully, his face growing warm again. He had absolutely no right to think of Snake that way: as his, and he consciously hadn't. But subconsciously, he'd apparently already decided what he had wanted. Why else would he have gone to all the trouble he had to keep him around? He could have lent the boy money to rent a place of his own, but he'd insisted he stay with him. He could have forced him to work somewhere where his previous skills would be useful, but he'd purposely sought out a place he knew the young man would enjoy. He could have taken other lovers, but he just hadn't...because he wanted Snake for his own, even if he couldn't admit it to himself.

Snake shook his head, mumbling in a low voice, "I…I like you…s—" he cut himself off, no. he wouldn't add his assertion, not for William. Not anymore. If William wanted him, why should he be so shy around him? True, he doubted he could ever take initiative, but at the same time; he could take small steps like this to show William that he wants him too.

"Truly?" William asked softly and carefully. "It's not just because I took you in? You do not have to pretend if you think I may toss you out otherwise...I could not do that to you."

He did not think Snake was that devious, but the young man was also so painfully shy and submissive that it was hard to tell what was him and what was him reacting to situations...and he swore Snake was about to call him 'Suit' again...was he that nervous?

Snake hugged him tighter and shook his head before looking up at him, "I like you…" he said with a little more confidence in his quiet voice.

Even without his glasses, William could clearly see Snake's expression with him so close. It was very endearing and touching seeing the honesty in his eyes. Along with the lack of announcing who was making the statement, he could tell how serious he was. It didn't matter where the 'like' had stemmed from...it just mattered that it existed at all.

He brought his hand up to cup the young man's cheek, "Snake..." he said softly, at a loss for words.

Blushing, Snake bit his lip before meeting his gaze, "…Timothy." He said softly, It had been far more years than he could remember since he had used his real name; his birth name. Snake was just easier. In the freak show he had been called the 'Snake Man' and then in the Circus Joker's love for nicknames had stuck him with 'Snake' He never really minded because of his connections to the serpent kind, but William wasn't using his nickname, and if anyone was to know Snake's real name; he would want it to be William.

"Timothy?" William asked, slightly confused wondering for a moment if he'd somehow missed the young man saying something alluding to his serpent friends, but he could not think of any authors named Timothy...Or had Snake been correcting him?

"Is that your name? Timothy?"

Snake nodded slowly, "My real name…Is Timothy Ives…"

William let that sink in for a moment. He had never bothered to ask because the young man had never offered up the information before...

"Then why do you keep letting me call you 'Snake'?" he asked softly. "Which do you prefer?"

"I'm…used to it…No one has called me Timothy for years…but…I don't care which…Just…"he blushed harder, "I just wanted you to know."

William nodded and gently touched the young man's face again.

"Timothy..." he said softly as he moved slightly closer, "You already agreed to stay with me, but...will you be mine?"

He knew how ridiculous it must have sounded, especially since his voice had gotten incredibly shy, but with the realization that he did want Snake, he really wanted him. It wouldn't do to just assume things. He wanted a clear answer.

Snake nodded, a small shiver of excitement running through him at hearing William call him by his name—his real name. "I think…I already am." He said, gold eyes fixed on the strange yellow and green that usually hid behind glasses.

Before he realized it, William had a soft smile on his lips.

"Really?" he said softly, oddly touched that someone would actually want to be his. He leaned in and pressed his lips to the young man's gently, sweetly.

Snake nodded and smiled into the soft kiss, moving his body closer to his again.

Will threaded his fingers into Snake's soft white hair and kept their lips connected, hardly believing what was happening. He broke the kiss to pull back slightly and rest his forehead against the young man's.

"I've never had someone to call my own..." he admitted softly.

"…Nor have I…" Snake whispered back, "Never…had someone…special…"

"Why do you even like me, Timothy?" William laughed quietly in spite of himself. "I am not the most...kind person."

Snake shook his head, not knowing how to answer. He didn't know why he had fallen for William, but he did know that William was kind. Someone who would be truthful about death; who would bring him in from the winter storm, who would stand by his side when facing Sebastian…Who'd help him get a job and let him live with him…someone who could do that for someone who looked as different as Snake did was not unkind.

"I suppose we have to learn as we go then..."William said softly and pulled Snake against his chest as he felt shivers running through him again. "Will you stay with me here tonight?"

"I was already…" Snake whispered, but nodded.

"I d-dragged you into bed. You don't have to st-stay," William shivered harder as his fever started to come back.

Snake got up when he felt William shivering, walking out to grab his blanket from the couch and came back, spreading it over the others, then climbed back into bed, hugging the shivering man.

"I h-hate being alone when ill," William admitted pathetically as he nuzzled against Snake, still shivering slightly. "Thank you."

He wrapped arms around Snake gratefully, "Th-there are some things you should know about me..." he said softly while the fever was lowering his inhibitions enough to loosen his tongue.

Snake looked up at William, "You should sleep…or…or eat something." He said, remembering William hadn't eaten anything at all that day, "You can tell me later or while you eat."

"...Not hungry..." he said tiredly...but he hadn't eaten since yesterday and food would aid his recovery. He sighed and started to sit himself up. "But I guess I should eat..."

Snake nodded and quietly rushed out to fill a small bowl with soup and then he returned, handing him the soup and a spoon, "Eat what you can…"

William took the bowl with a nod of thanks and ate slowly so as to not upset his stomach.

"I assure you, my falling ill is not a common thing. I have a very unique constitution," he said as he ate and hesitated debating if he should clarify. If they were to have a relationship, Snake would eventually find out one way or another...say if William forgot to breathe in his presence, or if they were together for several years and Will showed no signs of aging...

He set the bowl in his lap and looked at Snake.

"I am not human."

Snake blinked, staring at him, "…You look human…"

William nodded. "I once was, but I am no longer human. For lack of a better description, I am dead. As such, I can't 'die' the same way a human normally would. Human disease and starvation will not kill me. Only specific weapons, supernatural wounds or illnesses can cause my death. Normally, I am immune to human disease, but lack of sleep can lower my immune system, hence why I am ill now."

Snake was silent a moment, "…dead?" he frowned, he remembered people who had died walking around before, on the Ship he had gone on with Ciel and Sebastian months before. But those people had been mindless monsters in a way, attacking people with no regard to anything or anyone. What were those things called again? He had heard them being called something… "Are you a Bizarre Doll, then? Why are you not trying to kill people?"

"No, not that sort of dead. I should say I died and became what I am. I am now more or less immortal...I...collect the souls of mortals to be judged at their time of death."

"... _Dia an Bháis_?" Snake blinked in surprise, "…I thought…they were a myth…"

"...What?" William asked raising an eyebrow.

"Ah…" Snake bit his lip, not knowing the right name in English. He looked down at Emily who seemed to chuckle before hissing, "...Grim Reaper…says Emily."

"Yes, exactly," William nodded but still looked at Snake curiously. "What was that? Gaelic?"

"Sorry…English…is a second language…I was born in Ireland…" he said in a low voice, his cheeks darkening.

"There is nothing to be sorry for," William said. "I simply did not understand the language, but, yes, I am a grim reaper. But please do not misunderstand. I do not cause death, I merely collect souls before they can be poached by demons or angels."

"…Those creatures Christians believe in are real too?" he asked with wide eyes. He had never believed in such things as they had sounded ridicules to him. Of course the Church hadn't been all that kind to him the one time he had gone. They had called him an impure abomination and that he had to repent for his sins. There had also been mention of sacrifice, which he believed was worse than any sin he had ever committed.

"I suppose you could look at it that way. However, no religion yet has had an entirely accurate portrayal of any divine beings," William said slightly contemplatively. "They do exist and most humans are fortunate enough to not come into contact with them, but there are a few that do. It is important that you are made aware of these things as you have already come into contact with one."

"I…I have?" He asked with wide eyes. He couldn't remember seeing a monster…or some glowing person with wings…

"Yes," William nodded as he ate a few more spoonfuls of soup. "They can take human form and pass very convincingly. The one I speak of is Mr. Michaelis."

He wasn't sure if it was an entirely good idea to reveal that to the boy, but it was the only basis he had...and it was a matter of survival. If Timothy was to become a part of Will's life, he had to understand what he could possibly expect to run into. Knowing how to identify a demon was essential.

"Black is? D-does Smile know?"

"Yes, Lord Phantomhive is more than aware. Michaelis is under his direct command, though the young Earl is not a demon himself. He is merely a human that has made a contract with a demon, and as such, Sebastian cannot act unless it is an order from his master so there is no immediate need to exterminate him. Unbound demons are usually eliminated on sight due to the threat they pose," William explained. "Eventually, Michaelis will be dealt with. But I bring this to your attention because he exhibits some of what you can expect from a demon in disguise. His extraordinary skill and speed is not because he is an exceptional human, it is because he is supernatural. Sometimes it is difficult for demons to blend in simply because they do not fully understand the limitations of humans. As such they can and will act in ways humans cannot, such as fighting several dozen people at the same time and succeeding with only light wounds, or completing a day's worth of work in a few short hours. There are no set physical characteristics as it varies from demon to demon, but other characteristics can include: small fangs, naturally black nails, unnatural hair or eye color, though often the eyes are red, and if a demon is bound to a master they will have a seal or contract somewhere on their body."

Snake blinked and nodded, "…I'll try to remember…but…I think Emily would remember better…" he said and the snake hissed in agreement.

"I apologize. It is a lot of information to take in," he said, finishing his soup. "It is much easier to identify a reaper than it is a demon. You see, we all have very characteristic eyes. All of us have bright yellow-green eyes and most of us, if we are not insane, wear glasses as our vision is bad."

"…So…Red and that other guy are reapers too?" Snake asked, remembering back. The redhead had gotten so close he couldn't help but notice the reaper's eyes, and while he hadn't gotten a good look at the blond, he had worn thick black glasses.

"Red? Grell you mean? The insane redhead? Yes, he is. And I assume you mean the blond that came to visit? That would be Ronald, and yes, he is as well. We all work together. It's a very bureaucratic affair, soul collecting. It's not as mystical as one would think."

Snake was quiet, "Red is somehow scarier now…"

"How so? He isn't all that bad," William laughed softly.

Snake looked up at William and touched his fingers to his lips.

"Grell being scary has nothing to do with his occupation. That is just how he is," William again laughed softly. "I told you I will not let him abduct you, nor will I let him harm you in any way."

"He still got too close…" Snake said, scooting closer to William, "I only wanted you to kiss me…not him…" he blushed.

William found himself blushing as well at Snake's frank admission. It was endearing beyond words. William knew he'd only be passing on illness, but he'd already exposed Timothy to it, so there was no more harm he could do. He reached out and pulled the young man to him and kissed him gently.

"Then I will be sure not to let him do it again," William said against the other's lips.

Snake smiled and hugged William contently.

* * *

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that "Timothy Ives" is a headcanon name. It is not official and as far as I currently know, Yana has not given Snake any other name than "Snake".


	5. Chapter 5

William was stuck working late at the office. After recovering from his illness with Snake's aid, he had been buried in work again, though he never let it get so bad that he could not make it home. It had been a couple of weeks since and he knew it was only a matter of time before he would get stuck working late again. He glanced at the clock: 6:30. If he hurried, he might make it home before 8.

Grell had not at all surprised that William had gone and gotten himself sick a couple of weeks before. He had looked absolutely terrible. The red reaper knew exactly what was wrong the day he didn't show and the day after, but he didn't bother stopping by to visit. He knew the little snakeling would take care of him as best he could and when Will returned to work looking much better than he had in a while, it made him wonder. The redhead couldn't do much snooping, though, having been swamped in his own work, but he'd finally gotten a day off and he knew Will was making an effort to get home on time lately. Grell decided he'd pay a visit and see just what the deal was between the two.

He sauntered up to Will's door, bag of goodies in hand, and knocked politely.

Snake was in the middle of building up the fire in the hearth, having just gotten home from work and finding all his serpent friends huddled with Mary for warmth. He had built a small fire to return warmth to the apartment before getting a quick bath to warm himself from the walk through the snow. His hair still wet, he built the fire up properly. He blinked, looking up at the door when he heard a knock. William rarely got visitors calling on him, but it was possible that William had gone to the market and his arms were too full to open the door himself without putting something down.

He put the poker back on the rack and walked over to the door, opening it, blinking in surprise at the redhead.

"Helllloooo, Markie~!" Grell tittered. "It's been a while. How are you, darling? May I come in? Of course I can!"

Grell stepped around Snake and let himself in, then turned and grinned at the young man, holding up the bag in his hands. "I've brought a little something for you and Will. Where is he?"

Snake stared for a moment before Oscar finally nudged his ankle, and he closed the door, "…Still…working…says Oscar…" he said a little stunned.

"Really?" Grell said, putting his hands on his hips. "I thought for sure he'd be home. He's been making sure of getting off on time lately. I hardly ever see the man anymore! Ah, well~! I guess that means you and I can spend some time together. Shall we have some tea? I've brought scones!"

Being polite, Snake nodded and walked into the kitchen, finding the tea leaves and put water on the heat before returning to the sitting room, shifting his feet nervously.

While Snake went into the kitchen, Grell made himself comfortable on the couch, being mindful of the animals there.

"Come on, little snakeling~! I don't bite, I promise," Grell said as he patted the space next to him on the couch. "Is Will treating you well?"

Nervously, Snake moved around and shyly sat down next to the redhead, keeping a foot distance between them, and nodding in answer to his question. He knew William had said that the shark-toothed redhead wasn't all bad, but he was still intimidating.

Most of his snakes were gathered by the hearth; out of reach, but Mary hopped over and rubbed up against his ankle, so he bent over and scooped her up carefully, hugging her to him for comfort.

Grell grinned as he watched Snake pick up the rabbit.

"Well it certainly seems he's not running you ragged, at least. That's nice," he said reaching out to gently pet the rabbit in the boy's arms. "Then again, Will has always been good to his pets."

He looked up at Snake with a sharp grin.

"And you did a wonderful job nursing him back to health, by the way. He looked better than ever when he came back. Did you do something special for him?" the redhead asked with a knowing smirk.

Snake blushed and shook his head, "Made him soup…says Emily." He said. Did Grell honestly think that Snake was just a pet? Humans weren't pets…of course…William and Grell both were not human either…maybe normally, a human was kind of like a pet… but he wasn't one. Snake knew he wasn't, not to William.

"Oh? You just made him soup? Then why are you blushing?" Grell's grin grew wider as he leaned in closer. "Are you more than just flatmates now? You can tell me..."

Snake shifted uncomfortably, "…I'm not a pet…says Emily." He said, purposely avoiding the question. He remembered how the redhead had acted with William before, and what he had said as William pushed him out of the apartment. So even though Emily had told him to say _'I'm not a pet, I'm his mate.'_ He only translated half of it.

Grell was practically wiggling in place seeing how uncomfortable Snake was getting.

"Yes, of course not," Grell agreed with his sly grin growing wider. "With the way Will seemed so...refreshed, how could I ever make such an assumption? He would never do such a thing with a pet! Tell me, Snake, did he make love to you?"

The young man's eyes widened and his pink cheeks darkened as he shook his head. It wasn't a lie; they hadn't done anything more than kiss and curl up under the covers together. And Snake no longer slept out on the couch, but their laying together had always been completely innocent. And true, there had been that first morning when the Irish coffee had made him feel so strange, but even that wouldn't constitute as 'making love.'

"What kind of an answer is that?" Grell giggled. "I can't tell if that's a yes or a no! A little mention of sex and you go red as an apple. How old are you, boy? Seventeen? Eighteen?"

"E-eighteen…says Wilde." He responded quietly.

"Eighteen? Really? He hasn't, has he?" Grell burst out laughing and had to take a moment to calm down before wiping a tear away.

"Oh, oh, sorry, darling, you may not be a pet, but if Will hasn't bent you right over, then I have to wonder what you are to him. If all the men I've seen him take home are any indication, I'd say he's a very demanding lover. He's always refused me, but I _know_ he's not chaste in the least. Do you really think an innocent young thing like you could satisfy him?"

Snake looked at Grell, paling, "…he doesn't bring men home…says Wilde."

Grell couldn't help but snicker.

"Well, not since _you've_ been here," Grell said waving a hand. "But you've only been here a very short while in the scheme of things, darling. I've known Will forever. I've seen a veritable parade of thoroughly bedded gents leaving this flat over the years. And I can say with some surety he doesn't like them young."

Snake's golden gaze lowered to the rabbit in his lap, a seed of doubt starting to grow in his mind. It was preposterous; really, William had told him that he cared for snake; asked him to be his… and countless times Snake found himself being held by the reaper, a chaste kiss being pressed into his cheek or lips…but now there was doubt. What if Grell was right? What if William preferred other types of men for his mate? He and snake hadn't done anything to make it official yet…and if the man had such an appetite for that kind of activity; why hadn't he even brought it up? And then a thought even more painful stuck his mind; what if William wasn't working late? What if he couldn't wait any longer and went out with another older man?

"Of course, age doesn't matter much if there is experience to make up for it..." Grell said as he scooted closer, his arm resting on the back of the couch behind Snake. "Do you want to please Will, darling?"

The young boy stiffened and hesitated before giving a slow, shy nod. He didn't understand where Grell was going with this, but what harm could there be?

Grell licked his lips and scooted even closer. He hadn't thought the boy would be so...cute. He gently took Snake's chin between his fingers and turned him to face him.

"William is just another man, darling. He gets pleasure the same as any other. Do you know how to please a man?" he asked softly as his hand dropped to rest on the boy's thigh. "I can show you."

Snake's head started spinning; he felt like his face had paled, yet his cheeks were undoubtedly burning red. He shifted, Mary hopping off his lap as he did so, and backed away until his back was pressed up against the arm rest.

"Is that an invitation, _buachaill_?" Grell purred, an accent touching his words.

Grell's grin turned lascivious as he slinked over the couch like a cat to lean into the young man, putting his hands on either side of him.

"I'll not hurt you, _beag nathair_..." he purred as he leaned in to press lips to Snake's gently.

Snake froze again, no, this was wrong. This wasn't what he wanted. He jerked his head back, and having nowhere else to go, he fell backwards over the armrest to the floor, smacking his head hard against the wooden surface, causing a gasp of pain to escape him.

Grell blinked in surprise as Snake wiggled away and over the armrest, landing with a solid smack onto the floor. The redhead crawled over and rested his arms on the armrest and looked down at Snake with a wry smirk.

"A simple 'no' would have sufficed, snakeling," he chuckled softly, though his accent was still present. " _An bhfuil pian ort_ \- Ah, are you alright?"

Snake rubbed his head, "… _Le do thoil saoire…Arsa féin_." He mumbled, shaking slightly.

"Ah? I _ndáiríre, buachaill_?" Grell perked up, hearing Snake speak, despite his request for the redhead to leave. "I love a boy that can speak my language~! You're just making me want to eat you up all the more...But don't worry, I won't."

Grell got himself up off the couch and walked over to Snake to offer him a hand up.

The boy hesitated three times before taking the redhead's hand and pulling himself up. It seemed that Grell wasn't going to leave. He stood awkwardly, looking down and fiddling with his shirt sleeve.

"Do I really make you so nervous, darling?" Grell said with a soft laugh. "I'm only trying to help, you know. Tell you what, I'll go, but on one condition. Show me how you kiss and I'll tell you if you stand a chance with Will. If not, then I'll just make myself comfy on the couch again and wait for him to come home."

Timothy's eyes widened, not knowing what to do. He didn't want anyone other than William kissing him…but at the same time, he was really uncomfortable being alone with the redhead…and that seed of doubt Grell had planted was still there fresh in his mind. He looked over at the group of snakes watching silently, and he understood their silence. The choice was his, and his alone. They would not tell him what to say in response to Grell's offer. Slowly he raised his fingers to his lips, looking down in thought.

The boy was so bloody indecisive! But at the same time his innocence was so damn appealing he wondered how William could have restrained himself all this time. The man's sense of propriety was admirable, but Grell held no such inhibitions. He found himself grinning lecherously again and moving slowly towards Snake.

"Come on, lad, make up your mind..." he purred as he drew closer about to make the decision for him.

Right then, there was the jingle of keys, the turn of the lock, and the door opened to show William. Grell wrapped his arms around the thin young man as he looked William straight in the eye.

"It was fun bonding with you, darling~!" Grell chuckled and kissed the boy's cheek. " _Is fearr rith maith ná drochsheasamh._.."

William glared at Grell. He would ask what the red reaper was doing there, but the answer would take forever and Will just wanted to eat.

"Leave him be, Sutcliff," Will said, obviously none-too-pleased.

"Oh I am, Will! I was just on my way out," the redhead stepped around William to exit. " _Beannacht, beag nathair~_! My offer still stands anytime you want it! Ta~!"

And with that he bounded out. William closed the door behind him and looked at Snake wondering what the hell all that had been about.

"Are you alright, Timothy? I apologize for coming home later than usual," he said as he hung up his coat. "I wish I hadn't been. How long was that maniac here? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Snake looked up at William, wanting to run over to him and hug him, but that seed of doubt was still there; holding him back. "…Not long…" he looked up at him, "He…said you…" he shook his head and walked over to William, wrapping his arms around him.

As William hung up his scarf, he looked over at Snake with a bit of worry. He truly had not expected Grell to show up and he wondered what it was the redhead had said to the young man. His worry was doubled when Snake came up to him and hugged him. Usually he waited until William had dressed down a bit, but he seemed to want a hug right away. Of course William wrapped arms around him in turn, but he crooked a finger under the boy's chin to catch his eyes.

"What did he say about me?"

"That…you like older men with experience…not…he said I can't…please you…" he whispered.

"...What?"

William had to blink and shake his head to process what had just come out of the boy's mouth. Older men? What?

William's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to wrap his mind around it. Grell had come by to tell Timothy about his... sex life? Of all things? And somewhere in there he'd told Snake he couldn't please William? That honestly didn't surprise Will at all, but why had they been talking about that in the first place?

"What exactly did he tell you?"

Snake thought back to their conversation, "… _'I have to wonder what you are to him. If all the men I've seen him take home are any indication, I'd say he's a very demanding lover. He's always refused me, but I know he's not chaste in the least. Do you really think an innocent young thing like you could satisfy him?'_ …Said Red." His yellow eyes looked up at William, waiting for his response.

Listening to Snake repeat what had to have been word-for-word what Grell had said, he felt his face grow extremely hot and it took every ounce of self control for him to not pull away to cover his face.

Had Grell been stalking him? How could he possibly know how many partners he'd taken? And why had he made Will out to seem so promiscuous? It was true that he did have an appetite, but-! No, no...that wasn't the important thing here. Timothy was concerned because he seemed to think Grell's words were true.

"Well," he said, his voice cracking a little and he had to clear his throat to start again. "I have to be honest and admit that much of that is true, but not the very last part. I do have very strong desires, usually, but I do not ever keep the same partner because up until now, I have not wanted emotional attachment. To clarify, you do satisfy me, Timothy, in ways that do not require that mindless physical expression..."

"I do?" He said, perking up a little, that seed of doubt dying. He continued to hug the man, resting his cheek on his shoulder. "But…but if you want…I don't mind…" he blushed.

William quite enjoyed the feel of the young man against him and he hugged him a little tighter. It was very sweet of him to offer, but he didn't want Snake to simply not mind...he wanted the young man to truly want it and as he hadn't shown any signs of such since the Irish coffee incident William hadn't pushed it and he had no intention of doing so. It was enough for William to hold him at night.

He brought his hand up to stroke fingers through the boy's white hair as he gave him an assuring kiss to the top of his head.

"Come now, I've had a long day and I want to eat some supper then sit in front of the fire with you," William said softly as he started to move, but then paused and looked back down at Snake. "You never answered my question. Did Grell do anything to you?"

Snake looked up at him, "K-kissed me…"

"Again?" William snapped then growled softly. "Next I see him, I'm going teach him some respect..."

He gently cupped the back of Snake's head and brought him in for a soft kiss to erase what Grell had done.

The boy leaned into the kiss, running his fingers lightly up William's cheek until they bumped into his glasses. "I…pulled away and told him to leave…he did not listen…"

"You told him to leave?" William asked and couldn't help but laugh softly. "That's quite admirable even if he did not listen. Again, I am sorry I came home late. Had I not, then I might have been able to stop him."

Snake shook his head, "Not your fault… You—Ah!" suddenly remembering that he had started to heat some water for tea, he pulled away and rushed into the kitchen, pulling the pot of boiling water off the burner before it boiled over and made a mess.

William quickly followed behind Snake to make sure everything was fine.

"He must have really distracted you," William commented softly.

Snake nodded, "We should have dinner…"

William threw together a quick dinner for the two of them and everything went as it normally would, as if the incident with Grell hadn't occurred at all. After eating and cleaning up, William made good on his desire and sat with Snake on the couch in front of the fire while they read in peace.

Turning the page of his book, Snake glanced over at William and leaned in closer, shifting around to lay down, resting his head on the reaper's lap.

William lifted his arm to accommodate Timothy and looked down at him with a soft smile before going back to reading and resting his hand in the young man's hair, stroking and petting the soft strands between page turns.

"…William…?" Snake asked, breaking the silence between them and looking up at him from under his book.

William moved his book aside to look down at Snake and continued to run fingers through his hair, "Hmm?"

The younger male blushed behind the book, "I…I know you said we don't have to…but…I…Iwanttomakeitofficialthatwearemates!" he blushed even harder, "I-if you want to…"

William blinked and put his book aside to look at Snake.

"There is no pressure to do so, Timothy," he said calmly as he continued to stroke his hair. "And it is flattering to know that you want us to bond in such a way, that is not what it should only be about..."

His fingers trailed from the boy's scalp to trace over neck.

"It is also about pleasure and desire..." he said softly as he traced a fingertip over Snake's ear before he leaned down to ghost lips over his ear, breath caressing softly. "Do you want me to please you, Timothy?"

Snake nodded shyly, it had taken nearly all of his courage to say such a thing, so he wasn't going to back out of it after he brought it up, "I…I want to please you too…"

"You will..."William whispered as he nuzzled Snake's ear. He turned the young man's face to catch his lips in a far less than chaste kiss as his hand moved to trace over Snake's chest. He eventually broke the passionate kiss, motioned for Snake to sit up, then moved to stand and scooped him up into his arms and reconnected their kiss as he carried him towards the bedroom.

As he was lowered onto the bed, Snake broke the kiss, "I…I don't know what to do…" he admitted timidly.

"There is no right or wrong," William said with a soft smile as he covered Snake's body with his own. He reached out to start unbuttoning Snake's shirt and planted kisses to his jaw. "Do not be afraid to touch. You are free to do anything you want," he said as he finished pulling open the young man's shirt and pulled back slightly to shrug out of his waistcoat and start unbuttoning his own.

With a mix of nervousness, and excitement; Snake nodded and reached up to help push open the buttons of William's shirt before his fingers feathered over the skin beneath.

William reached down and pressed Snake's fingers more firmly against his skin, then slid his hands down along the boy's arms to place his fingers on Snake's torso, mirroring his hands and movements.

"Wherever you touch, I will touch," he said with a small smile.

Snake nodded and began to slowly run his hand up his chest and over his shoulder. His other hand wavering before it rested lightly on William's hip. The shy young man bit his lip and let his gaze wander over William's figure as he gathered his courage once more and leaned upwards to leave a light trail of kisses along the reaper's neck.

William's hands moved to mirror Snake's, his fingers pressing a little more solidly than the young man's. When he leaned up to kiss over Will's neck, the older man turned his head slightly to offer more neck and kneaded the young man's hip to encourage more caresses and touches.

"Ah!" Timothy gasped and his arms wrapped firmly around William's back, shivers of teasing pleasure running through his body from the small patch of scales on his up being pressed by William's massaging fingers.

William stopped massaging the spot on the young man's hip to wrap arms around him as well and pulled Snake to his chest for a moment, running his hands over the boy's back to press and knead. He turned his face to return the kisses the boy had given him, adding small nibbles and sucking softly.

"Nnnn…" from deep within him, an instinct-like urge took root and Snake found himself starting to breathe hard, his body shifting against William's. His eyes closed, memorizing the feel of the reaper's skin against his.

Knowing the young man was losing himself, William decided to take control again. He kissed his way up the boy's jaw and nibbled his earlobe, breathing over his ear as his hands wandered back down over Snake's sides and belly. He reached between both of them and unbuttoned both their pants then rolled their hips together gently to brush their awakening erections together. He released Timothy's ear to scoot lower, kissing over his chest and stomach as he hooked his fingers into the young man's pants and slid them down his legs and off. Once he was exposed, Will shuffled out of his own pants and crawled back onto the bed to kneel between Snake's legs, leaning down to kiss over his belly, his hands resting upon his hips. Will's warm breath caressed lower and lower before his cheek brushed against the young man's hardness and he turned his face to give a quick teasing lick, his fingers kneading into the boy's hips.

Snake's cheeks flushed when he was stripped down, but he continued to reach out, running his fingers over William, his lips parting in an eager whimper.

Hearing Snake's soft sound of pleasure told William he could go further. Pressing down a little more firmly on his hips, William's mouth hovered over the young man's shaft, his breath drifting over it before he reached out with his tongue and gave him a long slow lick along the entire length.

"Ah!" Timothy's body arched off the bed slightly, his mind going fuzzy. His fingers found William's hair and curled in it, pulling slightly.

That was an extremely good sign. William couldn't help but groan softly as he took Snake into his mouth, bobbing his head up and down as he sucked and laved his tongue over his length repeatedly. He paused momentarily to slide up along Timothy's body and reached up under the pillows to pull out a small bottle of oil, taking the opportunity to grind their bare shafts together for a moment, and slid back down his body to take him back into his mouth with another soft groan. As he continued to draw out more pleasured noises from the young man, William opened the bottle and coated his fingers with oil then set it aside. Making sure Snake was very distracted by his mouth's ministrations, William carefully pressed a finger to his entrance, barely sliding the tip in, and paused to gauge his reaction.

Snake's body arched again, a long moan ushering from his lips. A rush of ecstasy shooting through him at the new sensation. It was uncomfortable, and a little painful…but in a strangely good way.

His finger slid in further, moving slowly and rhythmically in and out of the young man's body as William continued to lick and suck to draw out more sounds of pleasure. Before long he added a second finger, wiggling them both to caress Snake's inner walls as he sought out the little bundle of nerves that would make him scream. William shifted their position, releasing the twitching member from his mouth as he pulled Snake into his lap to thrust fingers into him from a different angle. He found the hard little nub he'd been searching for and jabbed at it hard as his other hand dug into Snake's hip.

Snake's breath slowly grew louder until his lips parted more, a loud cry, louder than any other noise he had made before. The volume of his cry made his cheeks burn, but another followed soon after "Ah! A-a-gahh!"

William continued his assault, watching the young man pant and writhe. It was hypnotizing, seeing him so expressive, obviously enjoying himself, but he still retained his air of innocence. It made the older male tremble slightly with desire and excitement as he pulled Snake up to straddle his lap, bracing an arm around his lower back and pulling his arms over his shoulders. He removed his fingers to slide his length along his cleft and pressed soft kisses to the boy's cheek as he reached for the bottle of oil again and coated his length as he continued to rub against the young man's entrance.

"May I, Timothy?" Will whispered softly as he sucked on his earlobe.

The young man nodded, wrapping his arms tightly around William. The feel of William's hands, his skin, breath, embrace…the sound of his whisper…The reaper could do anything to Snake at this point, as long as he didn't pull away… Snake needed his touch desperately; addicted. To someone who had hardly felt soft, caring touches, like him, William was addicting.

He pressed soft kisses to the side of Snake's face, over his temple and brow before making his way back to his lips. Will mouthed over his lips gently as he positioned himself and very slowly started to press in.

"Breathe and relax," he said softly over Timothy's lips.

He was still so tight it almost hurt, but Will kept it slow and steady, staying conscientious of any distress the young man might show. He planted soothing kisses over his lips and moved down to the column of his throat, his hands holding him upright and close, letting him know he was safe and wanted. Eventually, William sank in to the hilt and sighed, a shudder going through him at the intense tightness and warmth surrounding him.

Snake's breath hitched painfully and he stiffened, tears springing to his eyes. But after a moment, he was able to relax slightly, finding that doing so eased the pain slightly. It took him nearly two minutes to grow used to the feel and size of William sitting inside him, letting him relax fully as he clung to his lover. He turned his head up to gaze at William, lips parted, but only a small gasp able to escape.

Fully seated inside the young man, William groaned softly and ran hands over his skin soothingly. He had never been this attentive to another, but he dearly wanted Timothy to enjoy this, to remember it as pleasurable... He knew he could have gotten lost in those soulful eyes that gazed at him now. Will found himself smiling softly and covering the other's lips once more in a very tender kiss as he slowly rocked his hips to move gently inside of him. He gripped the underside of the young man's thighs to lift him slightly. Will rolled his hips again to draw himself partway out, then slowly slid back in again, ending with a small snap of the hips. "Mnnnn..." he groaned softly, indulging in another thrust, "Timothy..."

The boy gasped again, loosing himself in the sensation of movement so deeply inside him. His breath mingled with William's as he leaned in, resting his forehead against his, their noses touching. His eyes closed and he let a moan slip out, mixing with William's own moan of Snake's name. The sound of it sending shivers through him.

Slowly, but loosing his usual shyness, Snake's hands slid from the small of the reaper's back, over his hips and up his chest, one resting on his shoulder, the other continuing to the older man's chin, lightly touching it as he tilted his own face until their lips locked onto each other.

Will was surprised and incredibly aroused by Timothy's display of affection. He released his thighs to wrap an arm tight around his waist while the other tangled fingers into white locks to take the kiss deeper, moaning his pleasure into the other's mouth. He tumbled Timothy backwards and hooked his knees over his shoulders and held him steady by holding onto his hips to give them an intense new angle. The reaper drew back his hips and thrust into the warm body beneath him, the euphoric tightness causing him to shiver hard. He felt good, far too good and William couldn't get enough of him. He took up a rhythm, thrusting as deep as he could with each pass as his pace quickened and he began panting from the effort.

Timothy gave a startled gasp as he was pushed onto his back and he quickly found himself nearly upside-down, his legs over William's shoulders where his arms had been moments before. The new position made him writhe in ecstasy, his fingers gripping the sheets of the bed and his head sinking into the soft pillow. His lips parted more, letting out a series of cries in time with William's movements. A cry hitching as he felt a dull throb deep within him, his untested limit fast approaching. "Ah—A—Wi—Will—ia—m!"

The sound of his name being cried out so desperately almost made William lose it right then and there. He groaned and bit his lip, digging his fingers into Snake's hips. He freed one hand to wrap fingers around the young man's shaft, squeezing and stroking him in time with Wiliam's deep thrusts, his rhythm becoming erratic as he felt his pleasure mounting.

Again, Snake's cries hitched, becoming louder until his voice broke and his body stiffened, lifting off the mattress as the pent up pressure broke free, coating his bare belly with his white cream.

Watching Timothy come undone made William shudder with need. He dropped the boy's knees off his shoulders, and while Snake's walls were still convulsing around him, he dove forward, covering his young lover's body with his own as he gave a few more hard thrusts, growling softly before his spine bowed and he threw his head back with a shout. He shook, emptying into the trembling body beneath him with a long, loud moan of completion. Once he felt the last spasms ebb away, he collapsed forward onto Snake, burying his face into his neck to bask in the warm euphoria.

Snake continued to pant wrapping his arms around William, pressing his burning cheeks into the reaper's neck and shoulder, feeling his lightheadedness starting to return to normal.

He reached a hand up to stroke fingers through Snake's soft hair as he caught his breath. Then he turned his face and cupped the young man's cheeks to bring him in for a tender kiss. He felt absolutely relaxed and amazing, not at all feeling the awkwardness he usually did after sex. No, he felt...happy. His kisses trailed from Snake's lips to his cheek and jaw, over his throat and back up and soon William was covering his young lover's face in butterfly kisses as he smiled.

Snake rolled his head over to look at William, his emotions still on overdrive as tears formed. He hugged William close, simply enjoying the closeness and not letting anything, even himself, get in the way.

William pulled away slightly only to slide out of Snake and lay along his side, pulling him into his arms.

"Do you feel more assured now?" he asked softly as he kissed to top of Timothy's head and slid hands over his back.

Timothy nodded, his voice still lost to the passion they had shared. He shifted, drawing closer to his lover and pressing against him.

As William held Snake against him, he realized this was the most comfortable he had ever been with anyone. Timothy just quietly accepted him, which was something he hadn't had since his death. He was needed and wanted for the first time in an incredibly long time and it made him feel...

"I think..." he said softly as his words trailed off, then the thought immediately picked up again and his lips moved before he could stop himself. "...I think I may be in love with you."

Snake blushed and turned his head to look up at him, his lips parted to respond, but when no noise came out he closed his eyes and pressed his lips to William's in response. "I…I am in love with…with you." He managed to whisper, finally.

If he wasn't sure before, he was now. Hearing those words come from Snake both made him feel calm and made his heart race at the same time. He took Timothy's face in his hands and pressed another kiss to his lips, taking it slightly deeper to run his tongue along the other's before pulling back a little to look into those beautiful golden eyes.

"No, I know it. I love you," he whispered as he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his young lover again.

A smile touched Timothy's lips and he curled up tighter against William, his eyes closing in content.

It amazed William how natural it seemed to fall into what they normally did, only now he felt lazy satisfaction and utter acceptance. William continued to soothingly rub circles over the young man's back, burying his nose in his hair, feeling the pattern of his breathing and heartbeat, and held him until they both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

Something in the air told William it was going to be a trying day. He should have known when the skies opened up and covered everything in snow again. A cold day meant a high collection day. With a sigh, he made it to the offices only to discover that the harvest volume was so high that day that he would be needed in the field to accommodate...it was so high, in fact, that reapers were encouraged to go solo when possible if another reaper would be within a mile radius. It was a rare command, but it would be necessary to achieve their goals that day.

William worked tirelessly, breaking only once to eat. It was exhausting, but surprisingly, he hadn't run into any problems yet. Most of the souls he collected were easy...just people dying from exposure. He wondered if even demons would avoid being out on such a cold day. As he sat on a rooftop and ate, he looked over the collection list and waited for it to refresh itself to see where he would be heading to next. However, there was one collection that had not yet been gathered. It was past the time by five minutes and he wondered why it hadn't been taken care of. It could just be a logistical error and he resolved to look into it. He finished his lunch and was off.

The site looked normal, as every other had that he'd visited that day. A rickety little shack, no fire in the hearth, no food on the table, just a cold little hovel where a poor family tried to survive. A weeping father held the lifeless body of his child in his arms, begging and praying to god to have mercy. He knew the mortal couldn't see him, so he approached and prepared to free the child's soul when the father suddenly looked directly at him.

William barely processed great white wings spreading revealing the grieving father to be a vindictive angel and didn't even have time to react before feathers were shot at him, slicing and piercing his flesh and knocking off his glasses.

He stumbled back towards the door, unable to search for his glasses though he did pull the secondary scythe from his jacket to wield both.

"I have already taken care of one of you today, reaper!" the angel spat. "When will you learn that your kind are not fit to judge the souls of the pure?"

The reaper kept both scythes pointed at the angel as he backed out quickly; the angel was upon him once more. Just before he could be hit with another barrage of feathers, he threw himself backwards and out into the alley, rolling back onto his feet to jump to safety and run for back up. But before he could, the angel whipped out a spear of his own and caught Will in the thigh mid-jump, pinning him to a wall.

Will grunted in pain as the angel yanked his spear free and was upon him again, this time, grabbing the reaper by the throat and shoving him repeatedly against the wall with tremendous force, knocking his head over and over, disorienting him and forcing him to drop his weapons. Without loosening his hold, the angel bent down and picked up one of Will's scythes. With a wicked grin, he stabbed it through the reaper's shoulder to pin him to the wall again. William tried to resist, but he couldn't focus, his head was spinning, throbbing and everything was in pain.

"Judge not lest ye be judged, reaper," the angel said lowly as he picked up William's other spear and stepped back, bringing it up over his head, preparing for a downward slash to release the reaper's Record.

All William could see in his mind's eye were the pair of soulful golden eyes he longed to see.

* * *

 

Snake pulled his scarf around himself after a gust of wind nearly made it fly off his shoulders. Mister Tatum had sent him out to pick up a package that hadn't yet been delivered to the shop and was needed for inventory.

He shivered, feeling Oscar who had gone with him to work that day starting to drift to sleep from the cold. Turning down a seemingly empty alleyway, he stopped and pulled out the paper with directions on it; no, this wasn't right… he had taken a wrong turn somewhere. The boy turned back to retrace his step when the sound of a pained groan reached his ears.

He turned back around, looking around the alley, was someone hurt? Venturing deeper, Snake narrowed his eyes, looking in the snow for signs of someone who could have gotten hurt. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end and feathers whiter than the falling snow caught his eye on the ground.

Feeling Snake's sudden alertness, Oscar, though tired from the cold, left Snake's shoulders and slipped down his sleeve, sensing possible danger. He wanted to be ready for a fight, even if his strikes would be sluggish due to the cold winter day.

A quiet buzzing sounded in Timothy's mind and his vision blurred momentarily, causing him to stumble and fall to his knees. His vision cleared quickly and he pushed himself up with a grunt, suddenly feeling as if he needed to get away from that Alley. He backed up a few paces, looking up when he felt another gust of wind.

The sight only a few feet above his head caused his heart to nearly stop. A man with great white wings had William pinned to the wall with a long metal stick, another identical stick in his hands, bringing it back to thrust into the reaper's chest.

Before he could think, Snake picked up an icy rock half buried in the snow and threw it up at the winged being that he could only assume was an angel. "S-Stop it…Says Oscar!"

William still attempted to struggle against the angel, trying desperately to keep as much of his weight off of the scythe embedded in his shoulder, but the angle only allowed him the option to try and wiggle the blades free from the brick behind him if he was to escape. He saw the blurred shape of the angel raising his other death scythe and just as he was about to kick out and try to dodge the oncoming blow, his blood froze when he heard a familiar voice, but it couldn't be...could it? Had William's desperate thoughts somehow called him here? The angel's attention diverted momentarily to goad the newcomer and William's struggle renewed as he gained some clarity with a new rush of adrenaline. He was still very disoriented, but he thrashed to try and free himself. He couldn't let the boy try and take this thing on! He'd be killed!

The angel looked down at Snake when the stone hit his wing and tumbled down to the ground again. "Human? How can you even…" the angel's eyes widened and he dropped down to the ground, leaving William to dangle on the wall, he walked over to Snake, leaning in close, "…You smell of death, human. Specifically…" he turned and looked back up at the blind reaper, "Tch, You are no better than any spawn of Hell! Marking an innocent human soul like this one's with your touch of death! It is a good thing you fell into my trap, to be rid of an abomination like you…" He spread his wings and flew back up to William, swinging his fist across the reaper's face. The wind from his wings pushing Snake to the ground again.

"Timothy! Run! You can't- RRGH!" the reaper's shout was cut short by the angel's fist slamming into his jaw, rocking his head back and causing it to smack into the brick wall again. He saw stars once more and lost grip on the scythe, causing his full weight to pull on his shoulder. He couldn't stop from screaming at the pain. He heard the boy speak again and before Will could summon the ability to try and call out to him again, another blow sent him struggling to hold onto the scythe.

Snake couldn't stop the vindictive angel, he knew that. William was loosing to the holy being and he wasn't a human like Snake was. Desperation, fear, sorrow, fury, helpless, in turn, Timothy's emotions crashed down on him…until…

Determination.

"Ssstop it…says mysssself" the boy slowly stood up, his entire body trembling violently with anger. He couldn't feel anything, not even fear. His gaze was pointed down at the ground, his hair falling to cover his face, and his voice taking on a hissing tone. Without looking up he knew that the angel was delivering another blow to William, so his lips parted again, the volume of his voice raising, "Ssssstop it!" His fists clenched, his nails digging into the palms of his hands.

The air shifted around the alley, or more-so, around Snake, a dark energy leaking out and making the area grow darker. The change in the atmosphere made the angel halt once more just as he was bringing William's scythe back to strike to set the reaper's cinematic records free. He slowly lowered his gaze to the young man, his pale eyes widening, "You-!"

His mind buzzing loudly, Snake didn't hear the Angel's voice as everything seemed to just fade away and his body moved on its own. He took a few strong steps forward, all sense of his shyness gone as he approached the angel and then leapt up to their level above the snow-covered streets. In the blink of an eye his hand struck out, wrapping around the angel's neck, his fingernails growing longer and more claw-like; turning black. His lips parted in a sneer, revealing that he had grown two large snake-like fangs as he gave a low hiss, dragging the winged creature down and slammed him into the cobblestone. He then stood up, dragging the angel to his feet.

When he finally looked up at the angel, it was with glowing red eyes, his pupils silted, "I sssssaid ssssstop it!" he tightened his grip around the Angel's neck, bringing his other hand up to grasp the wing of the angel, ripping it from his back as if he were only made of paper.

Hissing, a long thin tail ripped through his trousers, causing him pain as his body began to change, causing him to scream out. The patches of scales on his skin expanded, covering more of his body and face in the silver plates. A splitting headache caused his grip on the angel's neck to waver slightly before small black horns curled up from underneath his hair.

The angel cried out as he was ripped apart by the demon that had just moments before been human, "You—how?" then his pale eyes caught the glowing red ones, seeing into his soul, "…impossible…" he said right before he was thrown back to the ground.

The holy being kicked out, catching Snake's ankle and pulling it out from under him. He jumped up and slammed William's scythe into Timothy's shoulder, pinning him to the ground before retreating, disappearing in a flurry of snow and feathers.

Snake yanked the scythe from his shoulder and started to pursue, but no longer sensing the presence of the angel, his body relaxed and the buzzing in his head stopped, letting everything fade back into focus for him. Tapped of energy he collapsed to his knees, breathing hard and finally noticing the changes to his body. He raised a shaky hand, staring unblinkingly at his claws He began to quiver, "Wha—wha-?" His glowing eyes faded back to yellow, but his pupils stayed snake-like slits as they gazed in horror at the black claws that started to shrink back into his gloves, black fingernails poking out of the holes that were left.

* * *

 

When William had felt the energy in the alleyway shift, he groaned desperately fearing that a demon had decided to join in, but the angel's attention was diverted again, looking towards Timothy. William winced and followed the gaze to see that where his young lover stood, there was a miasma of dark demonic energy. Then the energy moved, Snake with it, and the angel was suddenly on the ground with Timothy...or who he thought was Timothy, on top of him...ripping him apart. The voice held the cadence of the young man he'd fallen in love with, but the creature tearing apart the angel was not him! He couldn't see clearly, but he did catch a glimpse of the telling red glow of demonic eyes. But…what? How? Summoning his willpower, Will wrenched himself to the side to try and free himself of the scythe. He didn't manage it the first time, but after the third excruciating try, he slid down the wall into the snow, his mind reeling as he struggled to his feet, collapsing in the snow repeatedly due to his inured leg as he made his way over to the struggling pair. He winced instinctually when he heard the voice he loved so much grunt in pain, Will's scythe pinning the demon to the ground, and then the angel was gone. The demon gave short chase and William watched in horror as the dark energy receded to reveal the boy, his Snake, as he fell to his knees. William approached him as fast as he could, wondering if perhaps this was a case of possession. It was something that could be fixed...but when Timothy looked up at him his heart seized in his chest and his blood froze seeing the traces left behind of demonic transformation. It was rare for a host body to take on the physical characteristics of a demon, but one that was merely possessed never retained them once the demon returned control...his eyes...his nails...

"Who? Who are you?" he managed to gasp out before stumbling back, falling to the ground and rolling to his side, retching into the snow as uncontrollable nausea took him.

Tears streaked down Timothy's cheeks as he looked up at William in time to see him stumbling back, "W-William…wh-what…what am I?"

The signs had all been there, but he ignored them. Even Grell had noticed. What human could speak to serpents or had scales of a snake? William hadn't wanted to see it...but here it was, reality being shoved into his face painfully.

Will's nostrils flared and he shook, trying to hold back his own tears. Timothy wasn't real. It was a demon! All this time, it was a demon. And Sebastian had known! The bastard knew from the get go and even tried to warn William of it, but he had stubbornly ignored him.

He'd been seduced. He'd fallen for a corrupt creature that even now was trying to tear his heart to shreds by pleading with those eyes and using that innocent voice he'd fallen madly in love with. And to what end? What could he possibly hope to gain from this? Why would he save William from an angel? To consume him later?

He was taken by another wave of dizziness and nausea thinking of how foolish he'd been for falling into such an obvious trap and how much it still hurt to hear him in such pain and confusion. But it wasn't real. _Timothy wasn't real._

Once it had passed, William wiped his mouth with a shaking hand and looked over at the demon with unforgiving eyes, "You tell me," he said coldly.

Snake inhaled sharply, his throat choking up as he looked up at William's cold glare. A look that told him all too clearly; he was unwanted. His body visibly trembled, the hurt in his heart overwhelming. "W-Willia—" it was too much for him. He couldn't stand to stay under William's hateful gaze. He summoned what was left of his energy, and pushed himself up, turning away and running out of the alley.

The young demon ran through the streets, slipping and falling on the ice more than he could remember, sobbing quietly. Not paying attention to where he was going, he soon found himself lost on the edge of the city. Again he fell, and he just lay there, curling up in the cold snow, shivering and ignoring the hissed words of Oscar into his ear.

* * *

 

William almost got to his feet to go after him, but he had to remind himself that the boy wasn't who he though he was. He wasn't a boy at all...a snake, a serpent sent to tempt him and he'd taken the bait. He'd grown attached, he'd opened up, he'd given his heart to someone for the first time...and it had been a demon.

Why did it have to hurt so much, then? Why did that look of betrayal stab him to his very soul? It was so cruel that he could be so convincing, that he could be Timothy to torment William. Why couldn't his hate overpower the love he still felt? It was a filthy tainted thing! It had no basis! The person he'd taken care of, held in his arms, and had held him in turn was nothing more than a fabrication! But why was he shaking and where was that god-awful sobbing coming from?

He had a moment to realize his tears had finally spilled before he finally collapsed forward into the snow, powerless to move as his blood loss was slowly stealing his consciousness. And even then, all he could see were golden eyes brimming with tears before everything went black.

It was several hours before another reaper came on the scene and carried him to the hospital.

* * *

 

Grell had just finished visiting William in the hospital. The attack had a number done on him, but no one could say what the attack had been, but the thought from the condition of the wounds said angel. He had the characteristic slashes reapers often received from feather attacks. But, they couldn't be sure as Will was still unconscious. He'd lost a lot of blood and he'd had a terrible wound dealt to his shoulder that wouldn't heal easily as it had been inflicted by his own scythe. It hadn't been fatal, but he'd be out of commission for several days.

The redhead was headed to the city to see what he could do for poor Snake as he was sure the boy was worried to death as to why William had not yet gotten home. As he neared the outskirts of the city, he noticed a very unusual sight for London, and stranger still for the dead of winter. A snake groggily slithering out from an alleyway, obviously half dead from how slow it moved. That wasn't good. Grell moved towards the creature, knowing it had to belong to Will's young beau and picked it up, shoving it into his coat to warm it up. Now where was the boy?

Grell headed down the alley and nearly tripped over the half frozen body of the boy he'd been searching for.

"Charon's Oar, what the bloody hell are you doing?" Grell spat when he saw the boy was passed out from the cold. "You idiot! Will's got himself all banged up and here you are freezing yourself-"

That was when Grell noticed the blood on the boy's shoulder. "Hel's frigid tit!" He scooped up the boy and hurried to carry him to his flat. A hospital might have been better, but he feared the doctors would ignore the boy's wound for his appearance. He needed to get him warm, and fast. Once home, Grell warmed the boy and his serpent as best he could, stripping him down and putting them both in front of the fire as he treated the boy's wound. It was a nasty thing and he'd probably need better medical attention, but there was only so much Grell could do with what he had on hand...it wasn't as if he had his field medic kit anymore, but he could work wonders with a needle and thread and sacrificed one of his sheets to make bandages.

Once he was sure he had the boy stabilized, he could only wait.

It took several hours for Snake to regain consciousness; his head pounding. Regardless, he let his golden eyes flicker open, and he rubbed them before pushing himself up. Flinching in pain from his injury. He looked at his bandaged shoulder then around the room, wondering where he was.

Grell had busied himself with cleaning up after the mess he'd made nursing the boy, then set about cooking something for him to eat. He'd lost a lot of blood, so something high in iron was due. He wasn't sure if he'd even eat it, but liver seemed the best choice along with some leafy greens and plenty of water. It would have to do until he could seek further medical attention.

He had waited patiently for the boy to wake up, having taken the serpent into his lap to keep it warm in front of the fire as he read. When he heard the boy stir, he looked up.

"Easy there, buachaill. Lay down. You'll break your stitches," he said with a small smile.

Snake looked up at him, then looked down at the floor sadly, curling his legs and bringing his knees up to hug, resting his forehead on them, "…D-doesn't matter…" he choked out, "S-says myself…"

"It bloody well does matter," Grell scoffed. "I spent the better part of an hour putting in those fine stitches and I'm not going to let my work go to waste!"

He stood with a huff and put a glass of water on the table in front of the boy.

"And I saved your snake," he said in a snippy tone, practicality plopping the serpent on his shoulders. "You're welcome. Now, what in Rhea's name were you doing to get yourself in such a state?"

Timothy seemed to sink into himself at being scolded, and he was about to thank Grell for saving Oscar, when the question posed to him brought back his memories of what had happened…and the look on William's face. Tears brimmed in his eyes once more and he let out a sob. Catching a glimpse of his black nails, he squeezed his eyes shut, making a small, quiet whimper that sounded a lot like he had said William's name.

Grell started a bit at Snake's reaction. It was no fun bullying an injured person, and the boy seemed a bit more than physically injured. He wasn't even being mean yet and the boy was crying? And had he just said Will's name? Why was he so distraught?

"Hey, hey," Grell said softly as he knelt next to the chaise lounge Snake lay upon, "Darling, don't be upset. Just tell me what happened."

Snake shook his head, his hair falling into his face, "H-h-he h-hates me…S-says…." His voice broke and he couldn't finish.

Now Grell was worried. It was entirely possible that Snake and Will had a fight. It would explain why the boy had been out wandering, but it didn't explain his wound. Will wouldn't have attacked him...would he?

"Wait, what? Who hates you? And _why?_ You're too cute to hate. I know. I tried," Grell said with a small frown.

The young male shook his head, "N-no one wants m-me…N-not Mother…n-not William…I…I'm a monster…Y-you won't want me here either…s-says myself…" he sobbed, hiding his face in his hands, curling his black nails in to dig into his skin under his hair. He began to breathe heavily, bordering on hyperventilation. "Why do I have to have this body?" he cried out, the pain of loneliness and betrayal apparent in his voice. He had finally found acceptance, love…happiness…and his own body betrayed him. At first his looks kept people away, and when that didn't keep William away…it turned him into a monster…he became the thing William could never continue to love.

"Calm down, boy," Grell said firmly. The way he carried on gave the red reaper a clearer picture of what had happened. He noted the nails, the way he kept mentioning William, "Will finally figured out you're a demon, did he?" Grell said softly. He wasn't sure if he was correct or not, but Grell had his suspicions in the beginning when he'd first met the boy. His looks for one thing, his ability to speak to serpents another. Regular humans just didn't do that. Will could just be incredibly dense and there was only one thing that inspired hatred in that man. Put two and two together, and it made some sense. The idiot had probably overreacted and scared Snake off. Grell didn't have the same burning hatred for demons, himself. He didn't quite like them, but this boy was very different for a demon. He was still somehow so innocent...he had no malice or hatred in him whatsoever. The fact that he was demonic was just a side note to Grell.

"…I am a demon..? asks myself." he whispered. The thought had been there but hearing Grell say it confirmed it, and cemented his fear of himself.

"Did he do this to you?" Grell asked as he motioned to the boy's injured shoulder.

Timothy had to think back. The whole fight was so fuzzy, as if he had only been half awake during it. His eyes widened, memories of how he ripped the angel's wing off and he stared at his hands in horror again. How could he do that? How could he harm anyone so easily as if it were nothing? He was terrified of what he had done…and of what he was…a demon. Oscar hissed, and Snake looked down at him, "…Angel attacked…not William…says Oscar."

"Well, I don't know if you are for sure," Grell said with a shrug. "I just know normal humans don't talk to snakes nor do they have scales. I don't particularly care if you are or not. You're a very nice kid, or it's a very nice kid act, but somehow I don't think a normal demon could pull off acting as innocent as you do. Something would show through, and you are simply too...pure."

Grell moved to stoke the fire, "You said an angel did that to you? That's what the doctors thought caused Will's wounds... Was he protecting you?"

Snake shook his head, then, realizing that Grell couldn't see his action as he tended to the fire, he looked at Oscar for help, not trusting himself to stay calm if he spoke his own words. "We found William and the angel…Tried to stop the angel…says Oscar."

"And doing that made you think Will hates you?" Grell asked with a raised eyebrow. "I don't see the connection."

"I…I changed…I…" he trailed off, looking at his hands again, "he hates me…after he…after we…he lied…says…my…self…"

"You...changed?" Grell said blinking in confusion. Alright, so, the boy had transformed as any demon would when taking on an angel...and he hadn't been aware he had the capability obviously. Neither had William. His precious little snakeling proved to be a dangerous venomous creature and it had frightened William. Though how Snake could not be aware he was demon vexed him, but the boy didn't lie. His pain and confusion were too real for Grell to doubt it.

"You were there, he was injured, and you left him there? He really must have said something nasty," Grell said turning back to look at the vulnerable boy. "Though I can tell you now, if he truly hated you, he would have killed you on the spot. Will does not tolerate free demons. I have seen him go to extreme measures at the cost of his personal safety to take them out. The fact that he didn't kill himself going after you proves the exact opposite, actually. He loves you; he just can't cope with what he thinks you are."

Snake shook his head again, "That look…he hates me…says myself…" he raised his gaze to look at Grell, "Red…H-how can I be a demon? M-Mother was human…says M-myself." He said, tears falling down his cheeks all over again.

"Like I said, darling, he doesn't truly hate you...just what he thinks you are," Grell said as he moved to kneel next to the distraught young man again. "And perhaps the answer is with your father. What do you know about him?"

Snake shook his head. He didn't know. His father had never been talked about when he was still with his mother…in fact, his grandfather had made it sound like the man never existed.

"What does that mean? Did you not know him?"

Again a shake of the head was Grell's answer, "…Did not have much of a family for long…Mother and Grandfather was all I had and they did not want me…says myself."

Well that made a lot more sense. If the boy never knew who his father was, he could have easily been a demon. It wasn't exactly uncommon for them to have their way with humans...some spawn never even showed their demonic heritage all throughout their lives, especially if it wasn't a very powerful demon. For Snake to be born looking as he did, his father must have been quite powerful. And his true demonic nature had awakened while he was attempting to save William, the one person who would not easily forgive such a thing. It was quite tragic. But what could be done about it? Grell actually felt sorry for the boy. William obviously needed a good solid smack upside the head, and Grell would be glad to deliver it, but even he didn't quite understand the man's roiling hatred for demon kind so it wouldn't be an easy task.

Just as he was about to formulate a plan, there was a knock at the door. Grell went to answer it, "Eric! Come in," Grell said as he allowed the other man in.

"Not gonna stay long, it's just ya told me to come getcha when the boss was showin' progress, and he is. Thing is, he hasn't quite woken up yet. The docs keep havin' to sedate him because when he gets near wakin' up, he starts shaking real bad then starts thrashin' about and moaning for Tiffany? Timothy? Can't understand him real well, but it's someone he wants to see real bad and we think it might calm him down if it ain't just a memory or somethin'. Dunno, thought maybe you'd know who it is?"

Grell raised an eyebrow at the other man.

"No, I don't know anything about that. He has a rabbit named Mary..."

Snake looked up at the stranger, "William…William doesn't want me. He'll just get mad again…says myself." Just when had he started speaking for himself more comfortably? In front of William was one thing… and He had met Grell a few times…but the scruffy man at the door? Even Oscar looked at him questioning when he had become so independent.

"Who's that?" Eric asked looking around Grell as he noticed the young man for the first time.

"Oh, that's Will's little boy-toy," Grell said with a casual wave.

"That so? Then why ain't he at the hospital with the boss?"

"They had a bad fight," Grell replied. "It's complicated."

"Complicated?" Eric scoffed as he looked over at the young man. "You Timothy?"

Snake gave a shy nod, not used to being called by his name by anyone other than William himself.

"I thought it was Markie," Grell said crossing his arms and pouting slightly.

"Nice to meet ya, Tim. Name's Eric. Now get dressed, yer comin' with me to the hospital."

"Mark is a friend…says Oscar," Snake said, finding his cloths folded on a table and pulling them on, though still incredibly unsure as to if going was a good idea…he didn't think he could handle William looking at him like that again… he pulled on his bloodstained coat and looked up at Eric, "…William won't like me there…says myself." He repeated.

"If he's callin' out for ya when he's delirious, ya must be real important. Besides, fight or not, ya oughta be at his side, ya know? If ya fancy him at all that is."

"Well, it's a given that I'm going, too," Grell said as he moved to put on his own coat. "I know it's not much, but I think I might be able to smack some sense into the man. Figuratively, of course. He looked pretty bad last I saw him what with his face getting frost nipped from the snow. I couldn't bear to hurt his handsome face."

Snake's eyes widened. William had been on his feet when he had left…He had wanted to save William, but he had left him out in the cold…he hadn't thought about it. He assumed William would be fine. He looked down at his feet as he walked with the two reapers. He was a horrible mate; running away and leaving him behind. What if the angel had come back? A fresh wave of tears wet his eyes.

Grell had meant to stab at the boy a bit by saying that, not at all pleased that he'd abandoned Will. He perfectly understood _why_ he had run, but it was the principle of the thing. Still, seeing those tears well up again, Grell also understood how easy it was for William to fall in love with him. He was _so_ shy and innocent that every emotion showed whether he meant for them to or not. With a sigh, Grell walked up to the boy and offered him a handkerchief.

"It's not like he's going to die from it or anything," Grell said with a wave of his hand. Then he took the boy's shoulders to look into his eyes. "If you love him, and I think it's obvious you do, then prove his stupid prejudice wrong. Show him you love him no matter what you are, no matter how he's hurt you and maybe he'll stop being such a royal twat and see who you are, not what you are. Do you understand?"

"Did you just call the boss a twat?" Eric chuckled as he headed for the door.

Snake dried the tears on his cheeks and looked up at Grell, giving a small nod. He followed the reapers up through the reaper medical ward to William's room, pausing in the door, looking at the man on the bed nervously.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	7. Chapter 7

In the bed, Will slept propped slightly upright. The right side of his face was a mass of bruises; the left was discolored with patches of red and blisters on his lips. All over his face were fine slashes left from the angel's feathers, though his neck was bandaged. His right arm was in a sling against his chest. He breathed low and deep, though his brow was furrowed and his fingers twitched periodically.

William was alone in the dark again. It was terrifying. He hated feeling so helpless. For once, though, he could breathe, he didn't have to worry that the darkness was going to keep him there. He could breathe, but he was still alone. All he could focus on was the thought of Timothy, those golden eyes that spoke to him so deeply...that thin body pressed against his so perfectly...the heartbeats that matched in time when they slept together...Why did it hurt to think of all that? Where was he? Why was he alone? Where was Timothy?

"Doc says they sedated him last 'bout an hour and a half ago but they don't wanna give him anymore if they don't have to," Eric said as he joined the other two. Grell gave him a nod then pushed Snake into the room.

"Go on," the red reaper said. "He's not going to say much right now."

Snake swallowed and slowly approached the bed, standing next to it. He glanced back at the two reapers then looked down at William, hesitating before cautiously reaching out to touch the man's red cheek. He bit his lip and tried to hold back his tears, "I'm sorry." He sobbed in a low voice, "I'm sorry, William…"

Oh, there he was. That was his voice, and that was his touch, wasn't it? Why did he sound so sad? Why did William feel so sad? It didn't matter. He wasn't alone anymore, "Tim..." William breathed softly and turned his face into the touch. The world was coming back into focus even though it was all so painful...and everything else was coming back to him, too. The angel...Timothy...the horrible truth of what he was...

The reaper's eyes cracked open and he looked up to see the blurry shape of the boy he'd fallen in love with, wanting to rebuke him, tell him to leave him be...but instead, tears welled in his eyes and fell.

"Timothy?" he croaked, still unable to stop the love in his heart from feeling relieved to see his lover. He still wanted him. Despite knowing what he was, Will still wanted him. It hurt and confused him to think that, but his relief overshadowed everything else. He didn't care what it cost him, he just wanted Snake.

Snake took William's hand between his own trembling fingers, "I'm here…I'm sorry…" he whispered, he was sorry, sorry he left…sorry for what he turned out to be…but he wanted to stay if William would let him.

It hurt so much to see Timothy in so much pain. He still didn't know if it was all an act, but he didn't care right now...He needed the boy and he was beside him. That was all that really mattered.

"No..." William murmured softly as he gently squeezed Snake's fingers. "'m sorry," he said groggily. "Don't go..."

Timothy heaved a sob and leaned down, hugging William, careful not to bump the man's arm, and Will brought his hand up to stroke fingers through Timothy's hair as tears drifted down his cheeks, eventually falling asleep.

Eric had left after William started to wake, wanting to give the two their time together, but Grell stayed just inside the doorway, not wanting to disturb the two. However, once he saw Will go limp with sleep, he approached Snake and gently patted his back.

"Come on, let's get your shoulder looked at by a proper doctor. He's going to be asleep for a while."

The boy shook his head, "William…said he doesn't want me to go…says myself."

"Yeah, and I'm sure he doesn't want you going loopy from your injury, either," Grell said with a frustrated sigh. When the boy still didn't move, he threw his hands up in the air; "Fine! I'll see if I can get a doctor to come to you! Persephone's tears, I _swear_ -!" he muttered as he stomped off.

The redhead managed to wrangle a doctor after about a half hour of searching and pleading. He told her that the boy had been attacked the same as William and she agreed to treat him despite insisting he be taken to a mortal hospital.

She examined the wound and asked Grell why he'd even bothered to come get her when it was already stitched and dressed well enough. The only thing she added was a sling to keep him from putting weight on the shoulder and possibly popping the stitches, along with ordering him to eat and drink.

Snake stubbornly refused to leave William's bedside, holding the reaper's hand, even after visiting hours were over. He sat alone with William through the hours, eventually falling asleep, still holding his hand.

William eventually came to again and he woke to the sight of Timothy having fallen asleep at his side. Before he could even think about it, he did as he had when he'd been delirious with fever...he pulled on the boy's hand until he got into the bed with him, and the way the boy still fit against his side so perfectly almost brought tears to his eyes again. He was so conflicted. He knew he loved him and wanted him, but the logical part of his brain kept telling him it could be a trap and a lie...that everything Timothy inspired in him could be built on something fake. Demons weren't to be trusted...but he couldn't just make himself stop loving him...

William knew he needed to talk to him, to find out what he really was and then he could decide what he would do...but for now, he could hold on to the slumbering young man and let him rest.

Timothy shifted against William, falling into a more comfortable position. "…Will…m…" he breathed in his sleep.

Grell wandered in with a cup of tea and smirked at the sight of the boy curled up against Will as the reaper kept stroking fingers through his hair.

"He's a cheeky little bastard, that one," Grell said softly to not wake the sleeping boy though he smiled and sipped his tea. "But if bringing him to you makes you stop trying to kill yourself in your sleep, then it's all worth it."

William sighed, not in the mood to talk.

"I found him, you know. Half frozen in the snow. I took him home, cleaned him up, then he started crying about you. You're an idiot, you know that?" the red reaper said offhandedly, then looked over his tea. "He told me what happened. From what I hear, he saved your life. Just because you find out he's got a bit of different blood in him doesn't suddenly make him a different person."

"And how do you know that, Grell?" William said lowly and carefully. "How can I trust that this isn't a lie?"

"You really think a corrupt creature could pretend to be that innocent without bursting into flames? Come on, Will. He doesn't even understand what he is. Poor thing is a half-breed. Stop being a stubborn fool and give him the benefit of the doubt. You know you want to. I have never seen you cry in all the years I've known you and his very presence made you weep. Don't you dare let your stupid prejudice ruin that."

"I can't just forgive-"

" _He_ hasn't done anything to you except make you happy. I don't know what your deal is with his kind, but on a personal level, he hasn't done anything to you. Don't punish him for something he can't help."

Snake moaned, waking slightly at the sound of a hushed argument. He rolled over; was that Grell's voice? "William is a twat…said Red…" he muttered, snuggling his face against William's chest.

William was mulling over Grell's words, when a murmur from Snake drew his attention. He blinked in surprise and looked down at the boy at his side wondering if he had really heard what he thought he heard.

Grell covered his mouth to stifle a bark of laughter as he shook from trying to hold his giggles in, "That cheeky little bugger," the redhead laughed behind his hand.

William looked at the redhead and somehow all the tension of situation seemed to diffuse from those sleepily murmured words from the innocent young man at his side. Grell had a very valid point. Timothy truly hadn't done anything to him...except love him, and he had no way of knowing if that would ever change. But, really, no one ever did in any relationship. His heritage hadn't mattered before, and though he was still wary, the way those silly words slipped from his lips made William all too aware of how bigoted he was.

"Did you really call me that?" he asked looking to Grell.

"I did," the red reaper said a little haughtily.

William was silent for a moment before he nodded. "Thank you."

"For what? Calling you names?"

"No, for taking care of us."

"You're welcome. But you owe me new sheets and a nice dinner," he said pointing an accusing finger.

* * *

 

A dark shadow lurked outside the hospital, red eyes glowing as they watched the red reaper leaving. The shadow moved, silently coming up behind the redhead and reached out, grabbing him and pulling him into a secluded alley.

Grell felt satisfied in leaving the two alone...for now, and decided to head home to get some rest himself. He had a shift the next morning, after all, and he needed his beauty sleep. He certainly hadn't been expecting someone to grab him and he lashed out, yelling, as soon as hands had fallen upon him, but his yells were muffled by a strong hand clasping over his mouth. He growled in anger.

"My, you are noisy." Sebastian's silk voice purred into the redhead's ear, "I would have thought this would have excited you."

Grell relaxed a bit when he recognized the voice, and then shook his head to get his mouth free.

"Sebby," he said with a grin. "Well, if it's _you_ then maybe I am a little excited, but what are you doing here? I know you wouldn't be here just to kidnap little old me."

"Right you are." The demon said, releasing the reaper and tugging his gloves tighter onto his hand, "I am simply curious. Where is the little half-blood?"

How had he known about Snake? And why would he be asking? Grell did not hate Sebastian, but he had never trusted him either and he wouldn't exactly sell out the boy. He'd grown a bit fond of the little snakeling despite his attempts to hate him.

"Who?" Grell asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't play coy. You stalk Spears more than you stalk me. I know you know about Snake, the half-demon Spears stole away from my master's household. I am wondering if Spears has left him yet." The crow said, running his fingers through a lock of red hair.

"I haven't the slightest idea who you're talking about. I was just here visiting a handsome doctor~!" Grell tittered putting on his flighty act.

"Oh? You expect me to believe that?" the demon jabbed.

"Which part?" Grell asked with a grin. "You're right, it wasn't a doctor. It was a pretty little nurse~!" The redhead wiggled a little trying to throw the demon off. If Grell was obnoxious enough, the demon usually gave up and left, "If I _did_ know anything about this half-blood you're on about, what would you want with him anyway? Did he get your knickers in a twist?"

"Let's just say I know his father." The demon said, rolling his eyes at the redhead.

"Really? And is daddy mad at him or something? You his errand boy?" Grell snickered.

"…He is not yet aware of his son's existence. But it is obvious that Snake is his son. You don't just get random snake demons slithering around."

"I don't know much about your kind so I'm sorry if I don't know what you are implying," Grell said with a shrug, seeming casual but hoping he could milk a little more info out of the demon. "Is the little snake dangerous? Is that why you're looking for him? Should I not be walking around alone at night?" Grell said with an exaggerated shiver.

"You wish to know? Tell me if the boy's demon half finally woke up and I'll tell you all you wish to know. It isn't much a secret as to what snakes are, after all." The demon said, putting his hands on either side of Grell's head, pushing him against the wall.

"I _told_ you, Sebby, I don't know who you mean~! I just want to know who to keep an eye out for," he purred, toying with the demon's tie and collar. "Is there a demon that's bigger and badder than you out there? Hmm?" Now he had an inkling, but he might be able to get the direct answer out of Sebastian.

"I don't have time for your games, Grell." He leaned in, his lips hovering over Grell's, "Just tell me if his heritage woke up, and I'll give you anything you want."

Grell merely smiled, "Anything I want, hmm?" he purred, breathing over the other's lips. "Promise?"

"That is my offer." He nodded, his eye twitching slightly.

"Oh~!" Grell chirped and wiggled. "Well then, yes! I know the little snakeling~! And yes, he's shown his demonic side. I didn't witness it personally, but there are certain circumstances that prove it to be true. What do you want with my little Markie, hmm?"

"…I see. How unfortunate for him…" the demon murmured, pressing his fingertips to his forehead, "I don't want anything with the young Snake. But please extend a warning to Spears should he somehow get over his prejudice to demons enough to keep Snake at his side…Keep an eye on him, he'll need protection if the fluff balls above find out about him."

"Aww, how sweet, Sebby~! Are you concerned for one of your own?" Grell cooed, wrapping his arms around Sebastian's neck,"Oh, and the fluffballs already know, I'm sure. Apparently he woke up because of an angel making a nuisance of itself. I don't know if he killed it or not, but they're sure to take notice. So why not just tell his dear daddy to protect him?"

"More I have respect for the royal family. And I am sure Lucifer is too busy at the moment. Though I will send him word that he has a son, and that he has awoken. Whether or not he wishes to keep his heir safe is his own business. I have not personally met him so I do not know if he is much of a family man."

The redhead's eyes widened, "L-Lucifer?!" he stammered. Well, not only had Will chosen a demon, but the son of _the_ demon. He was not going to be happy about that at all... "W-well...that's interesting," Grell said with a forced grin then shook his head to clear his head and turned a lusty gaze to Sebastian. "But what about our deal, do I still get anything I want from you?"

"Lucifer is the only snake demon, after all." Sebastian nodded, "and unfortunately, yes, you do, as long as it does not go against my contract with the young master. I gave you my word, after all."

"Oh, I know what I want already, Sebby. I want you..." Grell purred as he leaned in and nibbled his ear. "...to help darling little Snake whenever he needs it." He pulled back and smirked at the demon.

A look of surprise flickered across Sebastian's face, "I would prefer it be something like that, thank you. But know that this is not a binding contract, and as such I will not be required to help him if I am not around, or it interferes with my young Master's safety or orders."

Grell smirked and raised an eyebrow, "I doubt you could handle me in that capacity, darling," Grell leered as he tapped the demon's nose. "And of course I don't expect a binding contract. I'm sure the poor boy has questions that only another demon can answer. If the Serpent is a family man, it wouldn't hurt for you to be nice to his kid anyway, now would it?"

"Very well…he is free to come by if he has questions." Sebastian said, ignoring the redhead's first comment. He pulled away, "Don't forget to extend my warning to Spears."

"I'll be sure to..." Grell sighed as he pushed himself off the wall; "Wait, Sebastian? Now that he's awakened, is he going to need to...you know...eat souls?"

"Shouldn't that have been your first concern, reaper?" the demon asked, looking over his shoulder at the redhead, "It depends on him, really. There is a fifty percent chance of him needing souls…but even if he does, he can get away with less than the rest of us as human food will help hold him over for a while. Of course, he's a baby still…so he may need souls more often until he's grown up a bit…Is that a problem?"

"You know damn well it's a problem!" Grell snipped before he could stop himself. "Ah, oh, sorry Sebby. It's not like it's _your_ fault. You've been such a good sport telling me all this. I'll be sure to tell Markie to come to you and find out all this himself."

The demon nodded and disappeared into the shadows, leaving the redhead alone in the alley next to the medical building.

Grell groaned and leaned back against the wall. He was tired and all this new information was a bit overwhelming even for him...he would wait to break the news to Will and the snakeling until morning…or the following afternoon.

* * *

 

After Grell had left, William stayed up simply looking at Snake, wondering what he was going to do...absolutely nothing good could come of them being together. If the boy needed souls...what was William going to do? He couldn't just turn a blind eye to it. It compromised his very being, his morality, his drive. It didn't matter how corrupt the soul, it was his duty, his contract to harvest and judge mortal souls. If Snake consumed in front of him...he'd have to destroy him and William knew he would not have the willpower to do it.

Slowly, Snake stirred sitting up and rubbing his eye before looking over at William. He blushed, "…Are you…feeling better…?"

"Considering the circumstances, yes," William said softly, still slightly tense. "Are you? Does your shoulder hurt?"

He nodded, "Stings…especially when I move it…" he bit his lip.

"Then don't move it," William said softly. He wasn't exactly sure what to say to him right now. He didn't want to think about certain things..."Why don't you head home? You must be tired and want to wash off."

He nodded, "….Can I come back to see you in the morning?"

"Yes," William said with a nod, about ready to just let the boy go, but he could not leave it be. It was just hurting him to keep it in.

"Timothy?" he asked softly. "You honestly had no idea what you are?"

Snake shook his head, "Mother and Grandfather are human…so I thought I was too…I…I didn't mean to lie to you…I didn't know I lied…I hate lies…"

That response almost broke Will's heart. He really didn't think a corrupt creature could pull off acting so innocent. Timothy was open and raw and Will couldn't stop himself from pulling him close again.

"It isn't your fault. You could not have lied if you weren't aware of it," he said softly, his voice cracking a bit. "I'm sorry I reacted the way I did."

"S-so you don't hate me?" he asked, melting into the embrace.

"No..." William whispered. "Not you..."

He couldn't hate him. There was no reason to hate Timothy. The boy hadn't done any wrong...as far as William knew. No. He couldn't think like that. He had to have faith in him. He had to trust...

"I have a very strong dislike of demonkind for several reasons. Some are professional reasons, most are personal, but my hatred is... uncontrollable sometimes. I wasn't seeing you when I said what I did...and for that I'm sorry."

Snake nodded, bashfully leaning in and kissing him lightly, "I…I shouldn't have run away…"

"I can't blame you for doing so, and had you not, I don't know what would have happened,' William admitted sadly, "I was not in my right mind and I might have done something terrible."

Timothy fell silent and rested against William for a moment, "…why was that angel attacking you?"

"Because of what I am, I suppose," William said softly, stroking his fingers through Snake's hair. "They are often overzealous when it comes to the thought of purity and one tainted by death like myself touching a pure soul obviously offended him. At least, that is how he saw it, I believe."

"But that's not fair…" he muttered, hugging William.

"Yes, I know. But it is the way of things. There is a long standing rivalry between the three parties over mortal souls which results in conflicts between us all. All we reapers wish to do is collect them for judgement. Demons wish to consume them, and angels...it's hard to say what they want half the time."

"…I don't…" he said and looked up at him, "I won't have to…will I?"

"You won't have to what?"

"…Consume…" he whispered.

"I don't know..." William said softly. "It's very hard to say."

"…I hope I don't…I don't…think I could…"

"I sincerely hope you do not have to...I honestly don't know what I would do," he admitted sadly.

"Would you send me away?" he asked, worried.

"I would do everything I could to not have to do that. I would not want to see you unhappy from having to consume souls, either," he said softly.

"…Good…I don't want to be away from you again…" he murmured sleepily, still a little groggy as he was wrapped in his lover's arms. They fell asleep together again and Grell found them when he came to visit in the morning.

"You're _still_ here, buachaill? You are going to start to smell if you don't get out of those filthy clothes and take a bath!" the redhead spat.

William started awake and looked around blearily. "Grell...? What time is it?"

"6:30AM, I'm awake so both of you need to be, too," he huffed. "I've got really important information that was keeping me up all night, so you'll be grateful and listen."

Snake opened his eyes and looked at Grell silently for a while, "…Red's hair is a mess…says myself." He yawned.

"Yes, well, I missed out on my beauty sleep, but I figured I might as well come tell you before we're surrounded by reapers," Grell said as he paced.

"What has you so bothered, Grell?" William asked seeing that the redhead wasn't just being dramatic.

Grell sighed and came to sit close to the other two in the bed so he could speak lowly.

"Alright, so, there's good news and there's bad news...depending on how you look at it. The good news is, Snake here has someone he can go to with questions about his other side. I made a deal with Sebastian and he agreed to help Markie when he can."

"Michaelis? Why? What kind of deal?" William asked, his voice raising slightly in volume. Grell shushed him with a hand.

"That's not important right now. What is important is what he told me about Snake's daddy and that it could possibly mean trouble."

Snake sat up in surprise, "…Black knows my father..? Asks myself."

"Knows of him, as I understand. Technically, just about everyone in Christendom does," Grell said warily. "Sebastian made it clear that snake demons are not common...and that there is only one source of them. As in the Serpent. With a capital 'S'. But daddy apparently doesn't know about Snake's existence."

William's eyes widened in shock. Snake wasn't just a demon...he was the son of...Oh no. He suddenly felt dizzy.

Snake frowned, not getting the reference. He knew little of religion, and had only just learned that there was some truth behind it. He looked from Grell to William, "…What does he mean, William?"

Will shook his head gently as a headache started to form and motioned to Grell to explain; "Satan, Markie. You know, _the_ Devil?" Grell said with a raised eyebrow. "Well, that's not the bad news anyway. I hope you finished off that angel because Sebby warned that if word got to the choir above about dear old Lucifer having a son in the mortal realm, they'd be coming after him."

William could feel the world tilting as the information sank in and Snake gripped the blanket, "…I…I…" he fell back onto the bed and pulled the covers up over his head. This couldn't be real…he had to be dreaming…

"It got away," William murmured, obviously dazed.

"Well, then, learn to hide really well or prepare yourselves for a fight from a never-ending source of stupid." Grell said as he crossed his arms.

William was practically drowning in his own thoughts. This was so much to take in so quickly and he felt incredibly powerless under the weight of it all. Snake was the son of Lucifer, yes that had been shocking, but what was actually making his heart race uncontrollably was not the truth of his heritage, but the thought of an army of angels coming after him. His instinct was to protect Timothy, but he knew there was little to nothing he could do against a legion of divine warriors. He was only one man, and Snake, while obviously powerful in his demonic form, was still so young and inexperienced. Either the boy needed to gain control of his powers fast to stand a chance or he needed to seek help from someone who could protect him. He shook himself out of his daze.

"Timothy," he said softly as he stroked the boy's hair under the covers. "You need to talk to Sebastian. You need to learn everything you can about what you are so that you can defend yourself. Do you understand?"

The boy peaked out of the covers and nodded. It had to be the best option if William was telling him to go to the demon butler. "…Don't want to go back alone, though…" he muttered.

"I don't know when I will be discharged from here and the sooner you go, the better," William said looking to Grell.

"Oh, no, don't look at me! There's no way I'm going back there! The brat still hasn't forgiven me about his auntie and just no," Grell said with a sneer. "We can't bring Sebby here because that's just _wrong_. Though, he already knows you're here, I think. I ran into him just outside last night... But bringing him _in_ just doesn't sit well with me. Either you wait till you're out of here or you find neutral ground to meet."

"I won't ask you to take Snake to see Sebastian," William said. "But can you look after him when he's not here with me? Please? I do not want him by himself if anyone is after him."

"And why should I?" Grell said with a huff, crossing his arms. "I've already done way more than enough!"

Oscar lifted his head from where he lay curled up at the foot of the bed, bringing himself up to Grell's level and hissing dangerously. Snake sat up immediately, "That's not nice, Oscar…says myself." He scolded, then looked up at Grell with big pleading eyes, "…I won't be a bother…so…please, Red? …requests myself."

Grell narrowed his eyes at the serpent, "I don't know what you said, you scaly little bastard, but don't forget who saved you and Markie from freezing to death in the snow!" the redhead snapped.

"Grell, you are the only one I can trust-"

"Stop it, Will. Just stop before you make me angrier," the red reaper snorted. "I'll do it because you have never asked for my help _ever_. I have to sneak behind your back usually."

"Thank you, Grell..." William said with a grateful sigh.

"You're going to owe me a lot more than just a dinner and new sheets now. Maybe a nice snakeskin wallet," he sneered glaring at Oscar. "I'll come get Snake after my shift today."

Grell huffed and stalked out. As soon as he did, William looked to Snake, "Timothy, will you ask a nurse to bring me a pen and paper? I need to send a message."

A horrified look crossed Snake's face when Grell mentioned the wallet, and stayed as the redhead left the room, "D-do I have to go with him, Will?" he asked, getting up and slipping his shoes back on to go and find a nurse.

"You need proper rest, so, yes. He really is the only person we can rely on right now. And I would not trust anyone else to protect you the way I do Grell. He can be a bit of a queen, but he is an excellent fighter and he is extremely loyal, whether he shows it or not. He won't hurt you or Oscar," William said reassuringly. "What did Oscar say anyway?"

"Just because you saved us doesn't mean I won't bite your face if you don't help protect him…Said Oscar."

"That really isn't a nice thing to say," William said with a raised eyebrow. "But considering the things Grell has pulled on you, I don't blame Oscar for being defensive."

Once Timothy had a nurse bring William a pen and paper, he quickly wrote out a brief message to Sebastian requesting they meet the next day whenever it might be convenient for him and had it sent via carrier pigeon. Will would ask Grell to bring Snake back in the morning, and they would sneak out of the hospital to meet with the demon. It wasn't a great plan, but he could think of no other alternative. Snake needed information and William would not have him wandering around alone, he would not ask another favor of Grell, nor would he allow Sebastian into the hospital. Just outside, however, that was doable.

Snake watched as the bird took off through the window, then he looked at William, "…Are you feeling better today?" he asked, gingerly touching William's cheek.

"Yes," he replied with a small nod. "It has been a very...trying twenty-four hours, I have to admit. And you? How are you holding up?"

"Better." He nodded, "Shoulder feels almost like normal…"

"And how are you feeling about...everything else?"

Snake was quiet for a long moment, "…scared…my body…it feels different…and…I did horrible things to that Angel…" he whispered.

William took Snake's hand and squeezed his fingers, "Did you feel like you were out of control?"

He nodded, "I…I don't…remember much…just flashes…"

"Perhaps Mr. Michaelis will be able to help explain that. Honestly, I have no idea what happened, either. I could not see much nor could I focus very well. I simply sensed a demonic presence and lost most logical thought..."

Snake nodded, "I'll ask him, then…"

"How are you feeling strange, if I may ask?"

"I'm….thirsty…but water won't help…and…energetic…"

"The thirst doesn't surprise me. It can be associated with severe blood loss and shock, both of which you've suffered. What about your appetite? And can you explain what you mean by energetic?"

The boy shook his head, "Just thirsty…and…I sleep less…kept waking up all night…"

"You need rest in a proper bed," William said shaking his head. "Perhaps the thirst will pass. It's hard to say. Come here." William pulled Snake into the bed, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to have the boy close again He held him as best he could and nuzzled his hair. Maybe William was trying to convince himself that Snake was no different than before. He still felt the same, smelled the same, sounded the same...part of him was afraid that the demon would show through again and he wanted to keep Timothy as much as possible. He tilted the young man's face up and kissed him softly, wanting the reassurance that even that had not changed.

Timothy relaxed into William's arms and leaned into the kiss. Yes he was still shy about showing his affections, but his need for the contact felt stronger than it had before. He slid his arms around the reaper, holding him close.

That felt better. William had been reluctant to kiss and touch Timothy because of the nagging thought in the back of his mind that he was tainted in some way. No, Timothy wasn't tainted. He wasn't unclean or corrupt. He felt the same, he tasted the same, and William wanted to keep touching him, just as he had since the first day he'd brought him home.

Slowly Snake drew back, looking up at William with a happy sparkle in his golden eyes, "I…I was worried you…wouldn't want me like that anymore…"

"I was worried about that, too," William replied softly, then brought his hand up to cup Snake's cheek and smiled fondly at him. "But I am glad to say that is not the case. My love and desire for you have not lessened," he murmured as he leaned in to kiss Timothy softly again. "And I am sorry if I made you think they had."

"G-good…because I…" his face glowed red, "I..I want to…make love with you again when you get better…" he said in a shy, low whisper.

William couldn't help but laugh softly at his young lover's admission. It must have taken a lot of courage for him to say something so bold and he thought such a thing should not go unrewarded. He captured Timothy's lips again, dragging him into a deeper, more passionate kiss, moaning softly into the young man's mouth and releasing a good portion of the tension that had built up so quickly between them.

William pulled away, licking his lips as he looked into golden eyes. "I would like nothing more than to give you that," he said with a small smile.

Timothy smiled after the kiss ended. Feeling like he had been worried over nothing…he was still William's, and William was still his.

William continued to hold Timothy as long as possible. There wasn't much else to do but wait for a reply from Sebastian and then Grell when he came to pick the boy up for the night. He nuzzled his hair and decided to quietly share his plan as Snake would be essential in making it happen;

"I am waiting for a message back from Mr. Michaelis, but hopefully he will reply favorably. If so, I will need your help tomorrow and I am going to ask Grell to bring you back in the morning. I asked Mr. Michaelis to respond back with a time if he can make it and we are to meet just outside the hospital. I cannot go very far, but the idea is I will be going out for 'fresh air' in order to do so. I will need you as either a crutch or to help me with a wheelchair. I do not know if I will be up for walking on my own yet anyway and it gives us an excuse to be together so that we can meet with Sebastian."

"…Thank you, William…" Snake said, hugging him a bit tighter. "I…I hope Black will help like Red said he would…"

A few moments later the messenger pigeon tapped it's beak against the glass pane and Snake got up, opening the window, letting the bird in to flutter over onto William's lap.

Will untied the message from the bird's leg and gave it an affectionate scratch on the head as he unfurled the slip of paper to read it.

Snake got up on the bed and read the letter over William's shoulder. The demon had gotten straight to the point, saying he would meet them at two the following day.

Will breathed a sigh of relief that the demon had agreed to meet, glad that something had gone right finally.

The rest of the day was spent being examined, having bandages changed, minor therapy, and when he wasn't being prodded at by nurses and doctors, Will was talking with Snake.

Eventually Grell came by to pick up Snake, still a little ticked off, but otherwise he was calm.

"Come on, Markie, you need a little time to rest. Will is going to be just fine," Grell said, taking the boy's hand and pulling him away from William.

Timothy looked up at Grell, "I…I'm not Mark…says myself." He said, getting a little tired of being called by one of his friends' names.

"I know that, silly," the redhead said with a roll of his eyes as he led Snake along. "But I don't like calling you Timothy and Snake just seems so...impersonal. If it bothers you, then say so, darling, it's not as if I'll go off the rails over such a little thing."

Snake looked down, thinking it over, "Then…how about…Timmy? …suggests myself."

"Alright. Timmy it is, then. Now, come on, let's get you out of those nasty clothes," Grell said as he continued on towards Will's apartment. "I figured you would want to get your own clothes since I've probably got nothing that will fit you and I'm sure Mary and your snakes could use a looking in on. You've got your key, right?"

Snake nodded, pulling his key out of his pocket and holding it up.

"Good~!" Grell beamed as they approached the building and followed Timothy inside.

"Why don't you go shower, darling? I'll take care of Mary and then we can be off to my flat," he said moving over to the rabbit crate. Once the boy was in the shower and the rabbit taken care of, he sat on the couch to wait for him and before he knew it, he'd nodded off.

Snake took longer in the bath than normal, subconsciously thinking that if he scrubbed harder, it'd watch away part of the demonic evidence still showing on his body. The black nails, his slitted yellow eyes, even the scales he had since birth…he wanted them to disappear. Of course, all his scrubbing only turned his skin pink and he gave up, getting out and drying himself. He walked out of the bathroom, buttoning up his shirt, stopping when he saw Grell asleep on the couch. Cautiously, he approached the redhead and reached a hand out to touch his shoulder, "…Red…? Asks myself."

The red reaper snorted and sat up, then shook his head to clear it as he looked up to blink groggily at Snake. "Nnnuh? Oh, sorry, Timmy," he said, still trying to blink away sleep. "I am positively exhausted. We'll stay here tonight if that's alright by you..."

The redhead moved to lay back down, "I'm going to look terrible tomorrow, but...I don't..." he murmured and drifted off again.

Silently, Snake grabbed the spare blanket and covered the redhead before walking into the bedroom and changing again. But rather than grabbing his pajamas, he grabbed one of William's shirts and slipping it on before slipping into the empty bed, hugging William's pillow to him.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Grell woke up feeling chilled and sleepily wandered into the bedroom, crawled into bed, and spooned with Snake, simply happy to be warm again. In his sleep, Timothy curled into the warm body next to him, thinking it was William. But that wasn't right… it didn't feel the same… But he ignored it, too tired to care.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

Grell naturally woke up at six in the morning. After decades of maintaining a strict work schedule, it had become so engrained that he could rarely fight it. He blinked awake and noted that the boy had cuddled into him which made him smirk. He yawned and sat up, stretched, then reached over and gently poked the boy in the cheek.

Snake gave a soft moan, shifting in his spot before opening his eyes to see the redhead. Startled, he sat up quickly, nearly falling out of the bed, "R-W—what..? s-says myself."

"Oh don't be so alarmed, darling," Grell giggled as he rolled out of bed. "I got cold and used you as a little body warmer. For being a serpent you are actually rather warm~! Don't worry, I didn't do anything to you, nor do I intend to anymore. Not since learning your name..." he trailed off as he rounded the bed. "Now, get up!" he said cheerfully and flipped the covers off the boy. "I'm stealing your shower for a moment while you get dressed!" The redhead skipped into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Snake sighed and got up, changing into his clothes quickly and looking down at the snakes and rabbit looking up at him, giving them a little smile and stooping down to pet Mary and let whoever wanted to go with him for the day slither up his arm.

Grell took a very quick shower and met Timothy in the living room to escort him back to the hospital early. He intended to get the boy there and run home to change before reporting in to work. He could be a little late coming in, after all, Will wouldn't be there to yell at him.

* * *

 

William was a little surprised by how early the two arrived, but sat up to greet them nonetheless. He hadn't slept very well, but that was no surprise considering it was the first night he'd spent alone in a while so he was quite eager to have Snake close once he arrived, beckoning him over to the bed immediately.

"You two have fun~!" Grell chirped and headed off.

Timothy smiled and hurried over to the bed, greeting his lover with a hug. "How was your night, William?"

"A bit cold and lonely, but it could have been significantly worse so I will not complain," he said feeling more relaxed as he pulled fingers through Timothy's hair. It was like an addiction for him, touching the young man like that. "Do you feel better yourself after a bath and a night in a proper bed?"

Snake nodded, leaning into William, "…But Red stole your spot on the bed at some point, Made me miss you more…says myself."

"He did? Really?" William said with a raised eyebrow. "I thought he was taking you back to his place. He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"He fell asleep on the couch when I was washing up…But I don't think he did anything…"

"And then he snuck into bed with you in the middle of the night? That isn't surprising. I've heard Ronald complain of the same thing. Not to mention, if he had done anything, I imagine you would have noticed," William said with a light laugh. "How are you feeling today? Are you still thirsty?"

The young half-demon nodded, "…It's getting worse."

Will's brow furrowed. He was afraid he knew what it might be...but he didn't want to think too hard on it. What was he going to do if that was Snake's body saying it wanted a soul? He'd always assumed it would be a hunger, but frankly he knew nothing about demonic physiology. He sighed.

"And nothing helps it at all?"

Snake shook his head, "I had three glasses of juice for breakfast…didn't help at all. Emily says she is worried."

"It is worrisome," William admitted. "Hopefully Sebastian will have some answers for you, though. And how is your shoulder?"

The boy blinked, he had forgotten about his shoulder being hurt. He quickly slid off his jacket and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt and vest before bringing the cloth down off his shoulder to look at it. A small thin scar could be seen on his pale skin, and a few scales the scar cut across were discolored, but it looked fully healed, and it hadn't bothered him. Though the stitches were also still in his skin.

William's eyes widened at the sight, reaching out to touch over where the wound had been. He had healed miraculously fast.

"That is amazing to heal a wound from a death scythe so quickly..." William said with obvious astonishment. "But, we should probably get a doctor to remove the stitches."

"Maybe…it's because of what—who—what my father is?" Snake suggested. Really, it was fast compared to when he was human, but William's words seemed to suggest that it was fast for even a demon. "…are wounds like this not supposed to heal fast?"

"Not usually, no," William answered. "I am healing human-slow because of my wound from the death scythe in my shoulder and in my leg from the angelic weapon...even demonic healing is slowed significantly from a wound from a death scythe. It could very well be your heritage..."

"I don't like it." He said in a rare show of stubbornness, "I want to be normal again."

"You are normal," William said, a little amused by the boy's show of stubbornness. "For yourself anyway. As far as I know, there is no way to take away that part of you. And if it was possible, it would probably take away your ability to speak with Oscar and the others. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Snake looked down at Goethe and sadly shook his head, "…No…"

"I thought as much," William said with a nod. "The best thing that you can do for yourself is gain a good understanding of what you are and how to control certain aspects of your being, which is why we are meeting with Sebastian today. Now, let's get those stitches taken care of."

William called for a nurse who took care of the embedded stitches with a bit of a shocked expression. The rest of the morning was spent doing the daily routine for William of examinations and the like, but he managed to convince the doctor to let him get some fresh air in the early afternoon. Though he was doing significantly better with a lot of his bruises and frostnip healed, he wasn't allowed to walk yet and was forced to take a wheelchair which he had Snake push. He didn't want to meet the demon wearing hospital garb, so he changed into some casual clothes Grell had brought by for him earlier before they left at 1:30.

Once outside the hospital, he gave Timothy directions to the meeting place, which was literally just around the corner at a park where they stopped at a specific bench and waited for Sebastian's arrival.

The demon arrived at exactly two-o'clock, his silver pocketwatch in hand, "I do not have much time before the young master finishes his afternoon tea with Lady Elizabeth." He commented before looking at the two lovers. "I see you have managed to prove me wrong. You didn't leave Snake when his true self was awakened. You seem to be a mess, Spears, tell me, did he attack you when he first awoke?"

"We will try not to keep you long, Mr. Michaelis. Thank you for coming," he said, ignoring the comment about William having not abandoned Timothy, "And, no, my injuries are the work of an angel," William replied with a shake of his head. "I was in a bad place when Snake came to my rescue and consequently, his heritage awoke. Grell told us about having met you, the deal he arranged, and what you told him about Snake's...father. Is that really true?"

"It is. Why else would I agree to help a half-blood when I have a contract I need to be focusing on? The Dark Lord does not often have children, and all demons, who have not gone rogue, has a sense to protect the members of the royal family. Even if the Prince is a half-human. Though it is rare for a half demon to be born to a human mother…the child usually kills its mother before it is strong enough to survive without her. Though, in Snake's case nothing seems to be ordinary…He is far too innocent and weak…and, it seems, he has developed quite the liking for you, Reaper." He approached Snake and placed a gloved hand on his head, "Never met a demon as shy as you. If you weren't such an obvious snake, I'd wonder if he truly was your father. But currently, the count of serpent demons is two. And it has been at one for far longer than you have been alive, Snake. There is no doubt; you are the spawn of Satan himself. You should be proud and have more confidence in yourself."

The demon butler looked at William, "I assume you plan to be here the entire conversation between myself and the Prince?"

It felt strange to hear Timothy referred to as "the Prince", but if his father really was who Sebastian claimed he was, then it was appropriate... "He is far from weak," William said sternly. "And I do intend to listen in if it isn't a problem? He is currently in my care and I have personal interest in knowing what to expect with this dramatic change."

"In your care, or in your bed?" The demon smirked, "And he is weak. Hell has its own judgments on what makes a demon strong or weak, and Snake seems to have most of them. Tell me, Snake, do you feel guilt about attacking that angel, as I assume you did when you awoke?"

Snake nodded, slumping his shoulders slightly.

"That is a weakness. You're kindness, your meekness…all a weakness. Our kind thrive on pride, and the ability to do what is needed without regret. Strength isn't just physical power, but also in the mind." He looked over at William, "But speaking of weaknesses, if you insist upon staying, you must swear never to share what you may hear to your coworkers. There are physical weaknesses all demons share and Snake needs to know of, but these are not things we share with reapers or angels. Just as I am sure you reapers have secrets you do not share with demons or angels."

William narrowed his eyes at the demon at the suggestive question, "I have no reason to divulge information that would potentially endanger him," William said solemnly. "I will not promise not to use said information against demons that attack me personally, but I will not tell others. And though I believe it is essential he understands his heritage, it is not essential that he become one of you in all aspects if it will not endanger him. If he wishes to remain innocent and merciful, then so be it. What does it matter?"

"It matters. If he ever goes down home, it'll matter. There are some demons who would use him, and some rogue demons who would harm him." the demon muttered, his mind turning over the thought of William knowing demonic secrets, "I suppose I'll have to trust you. But my trust comes with a warning, should reapers ever learn these secrets other than you, consider your life forfeit."

Snake opened his mouth to protest, only to close it again when the scarlet gaze turned back to him, "Well then, shall we start, Snake?" the demon asked and Timothy nodded. "Then first things first. How are you feeling? Hungry? Thirsty? And please be truthful it won't help you to downplay this."

"Th-thirsty…says Goethe."

"Just thirsty?" Sebastian questioned, receiving a nod, "And does nothing quench it?" his response was a shake of the head, "I see, then exactly how long have you been awakened?"

"A few days…says Goethe."

"Hmm. Then if you haven't already felt the hunger you most likely will not have the need for human souls to survive. I suppose that will please your reaper friend. But, you are Thirsty. So you didn't gain your human mother's appetite completely. I suggest trying a bit of blood before the thirst gets too much and you loose control, doing something you'll regret. Now, we mostly take human blood, but that is just the easiest. Different types hold off the thirst for a different length of time. Drinking a fellow demon's blood will hold you off for a few hours, humans will hold you off for a week or two, reaper is anywhere between a month and three months, and an angel will hold you off for at least a year, but it taste and smells awful. As for animals, the effect is so little it isn't worth even thinking about."

Snake's eyes widened in horror. Drink blood? He had to actually drink it? He looked nervously over at William.

William breathed a very audible sigh of relief hearing that Timothy might not need souls to survive, "Blood? Is that all? Are we speaking of a small amount or completely draining the source?"

"Depends on his thirst at the time of consumption. He only needs to drink until he no longer feels thirsty. That is why I said for him to try it before it gets too bad. I know he wouldn't like to know he killed someone. For each demon, it is different. Once the thirst returns it'll build at the rate for that demon. So, until he learns his own thirst habits, I would not offer yourself up to him if I were you, Spears."

"And why not? Will he mindlessly feed until he is sated? Would I not be able to stop him from taking too much?"

"The first time is always dangerous. Some demons do revert to instinct, while others are able to keep their mind. He is no different. He very well could be a mindless drinker. And while he can't kill you that way, he could put you in your reaper hospital while your body regenerates blood. And seeing your current condition, I doubt you would appreciate being away from work longer than you already are. I am trying to be considerate of you both, so try not to challenge what I have to say."

"I apologize. I am not trying to be difficult," William said softly. "Please continue."

The demon nodded, "Moving on; Apart from your human name, you also have a demon name that you were born with. No one knows it but you, and when you learn it, do not tell it to anyone. Whomever or whatever knows your name can control you completely. It is as if they have formed a contract with you, but you get nothing in return. The only person who will know your name other than you is Satan. Kind of a perk of being who he is. He can look into any demon's eyes and see their true name. Understand?"

Snake nodded.

"Good. Another thing to be mindful about is your true form. Do not use it unless you have to. It is when you are at your most powerful, but it also exposes you. The more demonic you look, the more of your powers you have control over. But it also takes up a lot of energy when you are in any realm other than our own." He paused as someone walked by, waiting until they were out of earshot before continuing, "Also, if you let your tail out, be mindful of it because it does have a mind of it's own, and it is also sensitive. In a fight, don't let it be put at risk. The pain would be excruciating. But," he smirked, a knowing gleam in his red eyes, "It can also be incredibly pleasurable in other situations."

Will had already known about the true name rule, but he hadn't even known or understood how one might learn such a thing...and if Timothy ever did learn his, William did not want to know it. Not because he would abuse such power, but because he wouldn't want anyone else being able to drag that information out of him. It would compromise his lover's safety and he would not risk that. When the demon moved on to speak about true forms, William ignored the lustful gleam in Sebastian's eyes, taking into consideration what he had just said, "How can he learn to control it?"

"Control what?" The demon asked, glancing over, "His powers? His tail? His lust?"

"All of it, I suppose," William answered. "And by lust, I assume you mean blood lust?"

"His powers will come in time, They will most likely only be emotional at first, but in time he'll learn. His tail is hopeless. He never will gain control of it. And though it might do what he wishes at times, he doesn't control it. And no, I don't mean blood lust. That is easy once he learns his speed of needing blood. Don't forget, Mister Spears, that demons are very lustful, sexual creatures He may not ever admit it, but he has a strong appetite for sex, and if he already has had a taste, he'll want it even more." Sebastian smirked, "And Snake…if you want that taste, I'll be glad to give it to you."

"Thank you for the offer, but _no_ ," William said giving a cold glare to the demon as he took Timothy's hand. "Whatever his needs or desires, I will be the one to help him." Will straightened up and went back to his polite tone, "How can he learn to control his transformation and what powers can he be expected to have?"

Sebastian smirked, "Already had a taste of it then?" he teased, "I don't have all the answers, Spears. So much of this depends on him."

William again ignored the demon's lewdness, "Fair enough," he said with a nod. "As far as transformation, there is a way to control it, isn't there?"

"Not at first. The more it happens, the better understanding he'll have of it." Same with his pure animal form. Which undoubtedly will be a snake. Though that transformation is easier to learn and control. That one I'm sure if he thinks about it long enough, it'll happen."

"I see. It seems high emotion triggered the change last time, so it stands to reason that will cause it again...though I hope those circumstances won't repeat themselves. Grell relayed to us the warning you gave about the angels. Unfortunately, the one that attacked me did get away, so it may happen again no matter what," William sighed. "Besides vengeful angels and feeding his bloodlust, is there anything else we need to worry about? Enemies of the royal family? Lucifer himself?"

"There are always enemies of the royal family. Power-hungry rogue demons, angels, exorcists…As for Lucifer, he has never harmed another demon unless he is given reason to. Also, stay away from holy ground, holy water, touching holy artifacts. Some stronger demons, like myself, can stand it with minor pain, but we are also old. Even the strongest of new demons can not handle such things, and it could kill you. You may be eighteen in Human years, but as far as demons go, you are still a newborn."

"I…I never liked churches to begin with…says myself." Snake said in a low voice.

"And I'm not surprised. It was probably your demon side warning you away from harm."

"Religious anything shouldn't be an issue. I keep nothing of the sort, nor do I live anywhere remotely near a church...though I wonder...Lucifer is unaware of his presence, right? Then what good would it do for anyone to attack Snake specifically?...unless of course he knows now."

"I sent him word, but whether or not he knows of his son, Snake is at risk for many different reasons. Anyone who learns who he is may be a threat for one reason or another. Vengeance, hate, religious reasons, power, pride…the list is endless."

Will's eyes widened a little at the confirmation that Lucifer either did or would soon know of his son. And what would happen then? Would he come take Timothy? The boy would be much safer under such protection...if he was given protection and not killed outright...he shook his head at the thought, deciding to deal with it if it came to be. But it just made him think...if he'd never interfered in Snake's life, none of this would have happened to him... "The...the blood lust," he said sounding little distant as his thoughts continued to trouble him. "How do you suggest we feed it now?"

"Now? Find a donor. Cut a small slit in his or her wrist and go at it. I'd offer mine if you are willing to fend off his thirst for only a few hours. But it'll give you the idea of how fast his thirst builds. Of course I only offer because of his heritage. I'm sure you can find a random patron walking by out here. Or you can go against my caution and offer it to him yourself. Risk staying out of office longer."

Snake stayed quiet, looking down at a small stone half-covered in snow.

"Recovery time from wounds such as mine varies. I am going to be out for a while longer anyway, so there is not much risk," he said looking up at Timothy. "I am willing."

"B-but I…I don't want to at all, William…"

"You must, Snake. For a half-demon who only needs blood, going too long without is like a full demon going without a soul. You will go mad and loose all control, and if you still don't get what you need, you will die. Whether its your natural thirst, or a thirst because you were injured badly. Of course, you could substitute it with a soul. A single soul would set you for fifty years or more since you are only a blood drinker. But I'm sure your reaper would not approve. Snake, if you don't drink when you need it, You could end up killing Spears." The older demon cautioned.

Snake looked at Sebastian, horrified, his grip on the handle of William's chair tightening.

"If souls are not necessary, then they are not an option. However, blood can be replenished and I am more than willing to provide," he said then looked up at Timothy. "I know that it is horrifying to suddenly be something different, but you must learn to adapt. You yourself are no different if you do not wish to be. Drinking my blood will sustain you, not change you, and it is something I can easily do for you."

"But…what if it hurts you?" Snake asked, biting his lip.

"I must return to the manor, please contact me again if you have any more questions." Sebastian said, turning and walking away.

"Thank you, Mr. Michaelis," William called after him then turned back to Snake. "It won't hurt me. Not permanently," he said reassuringly. "Now, come, let's gat back to the hospital before anyone gets in trouble and then we can see about this blood issue."

Snake nodded and quietly pushed William back towards the hospital room where a nurse helped him get William back into bed and closed the door to give them privacy. He turned and looked at William sadly, still hesitant to drink blood, especially William's.

"Don't look so sad, Timothy," William said softly as he beckoned Snake closer. "Why are you so hesitant? Does it scare you?"

"…Yes…" he admitted quietly.

"What are you scared of?" he asked, reaching out to him.

"I'm…I don't know…" he said, slowly sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"I don't believe there is anything to be frightened of. You may be alarmed by what you feel, but I swear to you, you cannot hurt me by doing this. I will heal. What will hurt me is seeing you starving and miserable," he said reaching out to cup his lover's cheek, "Now," he said as he reached over to the table beside his bed and picked up a pair of scissors the nurses left there for cutting bandages. "We can test this in a small way so you can ease into it."

Will took the edge of one of the blades and sliced the pad of his index finger and held it up for Timothy. "Try it. Please."

Snake looked at the bead of blood forming on William's finger, the scent of it catching his attention right away, causing his mouth to water. He slowly leaned forward, meekly grabbing the reaper's wrist and holding it before squeezing his eyes closed and taking the digit into his mouth. As soon as the irony liquid touched his tongue, his instincts took over, his tongue coaxing more blood out until the small cut no longer gave any and he nipped down, his fang pricking a fresh opening.

His cheeks flushed, he couldn't stop himself, yet at the same time, the sweet taste was having a pleasurable affect on his body, no different than when William touched him. Drinking felt so intimate. Yet, knowing that he was drinking blood like a monster, brought tears to his eyes. But he couldn't stop until his throat no longer begged for more. He licked the small wound once more, his saliva healing the cuts before he pulled back, still tempted to take more.

It was strangely erotic watching and feeling the way Snake suckled Will's finger. It didn't even make him flinch when he bit down to draw out more blood. He'd had much more aggressive things done to his person over the years and the sensation of the boy's tongue more than made up for whatever tiny sting he felt. What did hurt was seeing tears well in his eyes as he fed. When Timothy released him, William pulled him to his chest to hold him, "That wasn't bad at all. In fact, it felt slightly pleasant," he said softly as he kissed the top of his head. "Please don't be upset."

"I…I couldn't stop…" he whispered, "I feel like a monster for liking it…"

"I understand that it is frightening to have a new appetite, but compared to the alternative, this is nothing. This is manageable," William said as he pet Timothy's hair. "You aren't causing me any harm so there is no reason to feel badly about it. You are feeding yourself and there is no shame in enjoying such a thing." He continued to try and reassure his lover, but he knew there was only so much he could do. How could he convince Timothy that this was perfectly okay? In the scheme of things, drinking blood was tame. It didn't shock or surprise or disgust him in the least. William honestly didn't mind and saw it as a simple necessity. Snake needed blood and William was capable of giving it. He didn't fear for his safety nor did he feel he was compromising anything by volunteering. William genuinely wanted to be the one to feed him...and as such, he had a certain responsibility to make sure Timothy _did_ eat.

"That small amount is not going to be enough," William said matter-of-factly as he took the scissors again and sliced across his wrist and offered it to Snake. "Now, please, don't worry and drink. If it gets to be too much, I will let you know."

Snake bit his lip and leaned over again, returning to drinking. Again he was alarmed at how natural it felt, how sweet it tasted, how he craved more, even after his thirst was quenched. It took a moment, but he was able to pull back, licking the blood from his lips.

William felt a little lightheaded, but it wasn't anything serious. He smiled at Timothy and cupped his cheek.

"Is that better now? You look a bit better. You aren't quite as pale."

He nodded and leaned against William's chest, "I…I didn't hurt you?"

"Not at all," William said softly. "I told you it wouldn't hurt me. If you take a little blood everyday, then we can keep you healthy and sated. Whenever you feel thirsty, do not hesitate to tell me. You have my permission to drink anytime you wish."

"As long as…you don't get hurt."

* * *

**To be continued...**


	9. Chapter 9

It was only a few more days until William was deemed healthy enough to return home. He no longer needed to be monitored and his injuries were healed enough that he could care for them on his own, and he was authorized to return to work, but only to do office work. Grell patiently took care of Snake as necessary, escorting him to and from the hospital, letting him stay the night at his flat, and taking him to Will's at least every other day to check on the animals.

William was glad to return home and really looked forward to sleeping in his own bed again with his lover at his side. He did not get to enjoy it as peacefully as he wanted the first few days as he was easily exhausted at work and tended to fall straight to sleep upon returning home. But, finally, he was able to make it home early and he intended to spend as much quality time with Timothy as possible.

Snake sighed and fingered through a box of records he had found tucked away at the book store, the owner had said to throw them out to make room for more books, so Snake had instead brought them home with him. Pulling one out, he walked over to the gramophone he had set up on a table and put it on, sitting near the fire, a smile on his lips as he closed his eyes and listened to the soft tone of the orchestra.

On his way home, William stopped and picked up a nice hearty meat pie from the pub close by, not in the mood to cook that night. He wanted an easy, restful night after the week they'd had and the idea of doing anything but relaxing just did not sound appealing. He was sure Timothy wouldn't mind.

As he stepped through the door, he heard the soft sounds of music...which honestly surprised him. He walked into the sitting room to find his lover sitting and merely soaking in the sound, looking content and happy with that little smile on his lips. It was rather endearing and he didn't want to interrupt his reverie. Hearing footsteps at the door, Snake opened his eyes and looked up at William, "Welcome home, William." He smiled, getting up to greet him.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, but I've brought dinner," Will said as he held up the box.

"I was just listening…you didn't disturb me," he said, taking the box from William so he could shed his coat more easily.

Will nodded and removed his jacket to hang it then beckoned Snake into the kitchen so that could sit and eat. He was quite hungry as he hadn't gotten a chance to eat all day. They chatted over dinner, William asking Timothy about his day, and giving the same information in turn. It was a simple, pleasantly normal routine that he'd greatly missed.

"Where did you get the record from?" Will asked. He hadn't remembered having that one in his collection.

"…It was going to be thrown out…so I brought it home…" he said, using his fork to cut another bite off his meat pie and bringing it up to his mouth.

"If I'd known you were a fan of music, I'd have brought out my collection of records a while ago," Will said between bites. "Admittedly, I don't have a very wide selection as it is mostly music for dance practice, but I do have a few operas and classical concerts and you are welcome to them."

"You dance?" Timothy asked, "What kind?"

"Ballroom," William replied. "Though I haven't gone dancing in a while."

"Oh…I don't know that kind…" the boy sighed.

"Do you dance?" Will asked. The way Timothy had phrased it piqued his interest.

He nodded, "But we haven't since the circus."

"What sort of dancing did you do?" Nothing honestly came to mind and he'd never watched any of Snake's performances during his short stint at the circus. Now he wished he had...

"I…" the young half-demon blushed, "I think it's called…belly dancing…"

"Really? Would you show me after dinner?" William asked with a grin.

Snake nodded, blushing. It was strange. He had performed his dance as a snake charmer countless times without his shyness getting in the way, but now with William, he felt nervous.

"I am afraid I do not know any solitary dances myself, but I will be glad to teach you how to waltz in exchange," William said, feeling a little excited by the prospect. Needless to say he finished his dinner quickly and cleared their plates, a little more eager than he really realized. Why hadn't this come up before?

Snake nodded, "I…I'd like that." He smiled.

After the dishes were cleaned up, Snake stole away to the bedroom and dug through his small area of the wardrobe, pulling out his performance outfit from the circus, and slipping it on. There really was not much to it. He had his tight black, low-cut pants and a pair of thigh-high lace-up boots. He then recruited a few of his serpent friends who claimed that they still knew the routine well, and walked back out to the sitting room, taking a moment to move the coffee table out of the way so he had space, "We may be a little rusty…says Wilde."

Will flipped through his records as Timothy got ready. He didn't really have any belly dancing music, but he had some slow swanky ethnic sounding music that he hoped would do. It wasn't as if he hadn't heard of or seen belly dancing, he just never really took interest in it because the only dancers he'd seen had been women and he simply did not find it all that attractive...however, the prospect of a male dancer, and his _lover_ nonetheless, well, William was greatly looking forward to it. He was sitting on the couch when Snake returned and simply looked up and smiled at him. "I'm sure I will enjoy your performance anyway," Will smiled softly.

Snake took his place in the center of the room, ten of his snakes forming a circle around him as he looked down at the floor and closed his eyes, setting his mind into performance mode and gathering his nerves. And then he waited for the music to start. When a new song started, he took a deep breath, forcing the butterflies in his stomach to settle and he launched into his dance. Moving his body in time with the music.

The music wasn't what he was used to, but it worked, giving him ranges that allowed his routine moves to take form. His arms taking slow, hypnotizing movements that swayed into his torso, his hips moving erotically. The snakes slithered around him and up his legs, caressing over him and moving with his body and arms, a few striking out dangerously at the air off his outstretched hands a few times when the music mounted in volume.

And then, when the song ended, the performers all froze, Snake's body twisted slightly and leaning forward, his arm outstretched to William, and his cheeks darkening as the thrill of performance faded and he saw William's face once more.

To say it was mesmerizing was horrifically insufficient. William was entranced, watching how the young man threw himself into the graceful dance. The way his hips swayed, the way his body undulated and waved with the music...The snakes themselves were quite impressive, following the musical cues along with Timothy's body movement. He seemed to lose himself to it, much the way Will would when he danced, but this was far more erotic. His scales glistened in the firelight, lending him more of an exotic sensuality, and Will's eyes captured every move, taking in every curve, every flexed muscle, and he was just as lost in the dance as Snake was. It was very surreal when it ended as Will had gotten so pulled into it, and Timothy's outstretched arm was too tempting. William reached out and grabbed his hand to pull him into a very passionate kiss with a deep, lusty moan.

Snake was slightly startled by William's sudden tug, but falling into such a deep kiss made him melt right into the reaper, his hands sliding around William as he adjusted himself to straddle him, the snakes still wrapped around him slithering out and around William's body as well, devilishly squeezing them together.

William greedily ran his hands up Snake's bare back, as he continued to kiss him greedily. The sensation of the serpents crawling over him, drawing him and his young lover tighter together was oddly erotic and his hands wandered aimlessly as if he were testing to make sure the beautiful creature in his arms was real. He drew back enough to speak softly over Timothy's lips.

"That was beautiful," he murmured softly. "I think such a stunning performance deserves a tip." Will smiled softly and drew in his own bottom lip and nipped it hard enough to draw blood then pressed his mouth to Snake's with a hungry groan.

Timothy gasped against his lover's lips, the combination of his sensual touch, his lips, and the taste of his blood grew too much for him, making him fall into lust, kissing back and sucking on William's cut lip. His hands pulled open William's shirt, and the snakes pressed them together more, their bare chests pressed tight. He moaned and shifted slightly against him. Will's hands continued to wander until they palmed over leather clad and laced thighs. He gripped softly and ran his hands to tightly grip Timothy's rear and he shifted his hips to grind up against his young lover long and hard.

"Ah…W-William…can…can we…?" he asked, his already tight pants restraining him almost painfully. He nipped at William's lip again, his cheeks flushed and his golden eyes starting to shimmer.

"After that display, how could I resist?" William purred as he gripped and shifted his hips to grind harder. He gave a final kiss to Snake's lips and moved his lover's hands to rest on the back of the couch as he moved out from beneath him, but signaled for him to stay kneeling there. Will immediately knelt behind him between his spread knees to press in, his bared chest to Timothy's back. William leaned down to kiss over the back of his lover's neck and ran his hands over his chest and torso while he none-too-subtly rolled his hips to press his growing erection against Snake's rear. Will nipped at the back of his neck with a hungry growl as his hands slid down to unfasten the young man's pants and push them slightly down his hips to expose him, Will's questing fingers wrapping around his shaft to stroke him slowly in time with his grinding.

Snake moaned, biting his lips and pressing himself back against William. This was different than the last time they had made love, but he knew William knew what he was doing. And he trusted him.

Will continued to stroke his lover's member as he nipped down his neck and slightly pulled away from him to take in the view. The sight of Timothy kneeling on the couch, slightly bent over the back of it with his knees apart, his legs still encased in his thigh high boots, his pants partially pushed down and loose, showing off a slight curve of his shapely bottom... William could wholeheartedly admit he'd never seen anything so desirable.

With a soft growl, he covered his lover's back again and kissed and nipped down his spine, making his way lower to press kisses over his lower back. Hooking a finger into the waistband of the pants to draw them down further still and expose his delectable posterior, pressing kisses over smooth skin as he moved to kneel on the floor. Will released his lover's shaft to fully grope and knead over the globes of flesh before him, then spread him wide to reveal the pert little bud of his entrance...Will couldn't resist circling his tongue over the ring of muscle, then outright laving his tongue over it to hear Timothy gasp, before finally dipping his tongue in slightly and returning to stroking Snake's length as he thrust his tongue in time with each stroke.

"Ahh!" The young man gripped the back of the couch, dropping his head down to rest his forehead along it between his knuckles. His body couldn't help but squirm from the strange sensation of William's tongue.

Will continued to pump and thrust to watch the boy squirm a little more before finally replacing his tongue with fingers and standing to drape himself over his lover's back with a sigh, nuzzling the back of his neck affectionately. After several more minutes of preparing him and once he felt Timothy could take it, Will withdrew his fingers to release himself from his trousers and lined himself up to slide in slowly, biting his lip and groaning softly from the tightness. He gently gripped Snake's hips to hold him steady as he slowly sank in.

"Ah—ah!" Timothy gripped the couch back even tighter as he was stretched around his Lover. It didn't hurt as much as it had the last time, but the angle was completely new and took him by surprise. He bit his lip harder and pushed back tighter against William until he was all the way in, his body craving more, and his cheeks flushed from how he reacted despite his shy demur.

"Nnnngh!" Will gasped and threw his head back as Timothy pushed back against him so eagerly. His fingers tightened on the boy's hips as he kept control of himself and forced himself not to begin thrusting madly. It was difficult not to considering how wonderful he felt, but he slowly sped up his rhythm, eventually driving himself hard and deep, reveling in the different angle. He shivered and laid himself over his lover's back to suck and nibble at his neck, his fingers kneading Timothy's hips to keep him close and tight.

Snake gasped, his nails in the couch starting to pierce into the fabric, and his eyes growing from a shimmer to a full glow as his lover fueled his lust. His legs couldn't move, his pants restricting them as they were spread as far as the tight pants would let him. And then, Snake felt something strange. A tingling in his lower body as his thin tail came out, wrapping itself around William and slithering along the reaper's skin.

The reaper panted as he lost himself in the feel of Timothy's body. He'd missed his touch dearly and he was far hungrier for him than he realized. Being surrounded by him, hearing him, tasting him, all of it was intoxicating and William's rhythm simply continued to gain momentum till he was groaning and growling with every thrust. At the alien sensation of something slithering over his skin, Will merely assumed it was one of the serpents, but he looked down and saw it was not. It didn't really bother him at all and it certainly did not slow him down.

"W-Whh—Will—iam!" The young demon cried out, his climax feeling suddenly close. His moans hitching until he felt the pressure release, "A-AhHH!" His back arched upwards against William's chest, his arms flinging back and catching around William's head and neck as shivers racked through his body, the mess on the couch unavoidable.

Why did he feel so magnificent? Will shuddered and groaned as his lover's body tightened around him and he could no longer hold back his own climax, digging his nails into Timothy's hips as he filled him with his hot seed, a cry escaping his throat as he was squeezed exquisitely.

"Timothy..." he panted softly, placing soft kisses over his shoulders and neck, wrapping arms around his waist to bask in his warmth.

Snake gasped again from William's fingers digging into the sensitive patch of scales on his hip. Moaning softly as he let go of William and moved away slightly so his lover could slide out of him before he turned around, hugging himself to him.

Will wrapped his arms around Timothy and drew him down onto the couch to lay on the reaper's chest. "My apologies for being so...spontaneous. Your dance simply made me lose myself," he murmured softly into white hair.

He blushed harder, "I…I don't mind…I...it was fun…and…different…" he said, seeing his tail slide over William's shoulder.

The reaper reached up to cup Timothy's face and brought him in closer to press a kiss to his cheek, "I doubt you realize how beautiful and alluring you are," he whispered softly, then glanced over at his shoulder when he felt something slithering over his skin and raised his eyebrow at the sight of Snake's tail making itself known. "It appears Michaelis wasn't lying, though I can't tell what this means..." He cautiously reached out to touch the questing tail, running his fingers over the smooth scales.

"I don't ei—ah!" he gasped, a pleasurable tingle shooting up his tail and into his body, making him shift and grind against his lover.

William's eyes widened slightly in interest at his lover's reaction. Sebastian had said the tail would be sensitive...but he hadn't been sure to what degree. He traced his fingers over it again, moving from tip to base in a firm but gentle stroke.

"A-ah….W-William….that—" Timothy moaned, hiding his flushed face in his lovers shoulder.

He couldn't help but smirk and repeated the motion, "Does that feel nice?" he said softly.

Snake nodded against William's shoulder, his voice low and muffled, "It…might make us repeat what we…just did…"

"Really?" William said softly, his breath ghosting over his lover's ear as he did not cease his actions. He kept petting and stroking his tail as if it were a different choice part of the young man's anatomy that caused much the same reaction.

"Mmmm…." Snake moaned, scrunching his face slightly, his fists clenching as his arms slid up the reaper's torso, his body shifting lewdly against his, his arousal growing more apparent as it rubbed up against William's hip. "Ah!"

"Do you want me to stop?" William whispered teasingly into Timothy's ear, his grip growing firmer on his tail as he shifted his own hips to cause more friction against his lover's dawning erection.

"I-I…" Snake suddenly lifted his head, looking at William with an erotically flushed and innocent looking gaze before he pulled himself in to crush his lips down onto William's.

the reaper returned the kiss and continued to lazily stroke his lover's tail, wondering why it was so easy to take this all in stride. Most people would not take so easily to their partner suddenly sprouting another appendage, but frankly, Will didn't care. The sounds and motions coming from the young man were enough to fuel him to continue. This was just another part of him...a very advantageous part of him...

Will purred softly and shifted to be able to grasp Snake's shaft and stroke it in time with his tail. He greatly enjoyed feeling the young man writhe upon him, but he wanted to hear him moan a bit more. He carefully rolled them and pinned his young lover beneath him, slithering down his body to immediately take him into his mouth as he continued to caress and fondle his tail.

"W-Will—iam! Nnnhh…ah!" The boy moved up against the soft lips surrounding his member, shivering in pleasure. His glowing eyes cracked open to look at the reaper again, his tail moving around William's body, acting very much like a snake.

Timothy's reactions were bolstering and Will teasingly licked from base to tip and back down, taking in the taste and feel of his lover. His fingers danced over the boy's tail as his other hand moved to grip his length and begin a pumping time in time with bobbing motions, dragging his tongue over his pulsing flesh, lightly adding teeth before diving back down to take him as deep as possible and swallow against him.

Snake bit down on his curled knuckle, the action doing nothing to stop his moans, his other hand shooting down to grip dark hair. His tail, trembling slightly, made it's way down to William's own length that was already re-hardening, and wrapped around it, the smooth scales sliding over the sensitive skin.

Will groaned against the twitching member upon his tongue as he felt the scales of Timothy's tail slither over his own shaft. It was a curious sensation, but he rolled his hips slightly to encourage more as his bobbing and stroking picked up pace. He slid his hand along his lover's tail, petting then gripping and stroking the coils wrapped around him to stimulate both himself and the seemingly sentient appendage simultaneously. It was extremely strange, but still incredibly pleasurable and he shuddered with another deep moan.

With another unusually loud moan, the shy young demon's body arched up into Will's mouth, his fingers clenching tighter into Will's hair as he felt the pressure returning and begging for release.

Sensing his partner's desperation, Will sped his pace further, hollowing his cheeks in his effort to bring as much pleasure to the young man as possible. He thrust into the coils wrapped around his member without abandon feeling yet another climax of his own just on the horizon.

"W-W-Willi-AHHnnm!" Snake cried out, at first trying to warn his lover that he was about to come, but it came too late as his body thrust into Will's cavern once more, shuddering as the pressure was released into his mouth, his tail tightening and stroking William's shaft in response to the climax. Timothy blushed in embarrassment.

Timothy's climax was not entirely unexpected and he was able to swallow it down with a hum of approval, but Will couldn't help but gasp as the tail tightened around him and he shuddered again from the sensation. As he sucked and licked his lover clean, he thrust a few more times into the coils and let himself fall over the edge once more with a moan. He shivered in pleasure as he lowered himself to lay on Timothy's chest, wrapping arms around the boy's thin waist to hold him close.

"S-sorry…" the boy muttered softly, still embarrassed, "I…tried to warn you…"

Will shook his head slightly, "What is there to apologize for?" he asked softly as he nuzzled Snake's chest with a sigh of contentment. "I did not mind in the least."

Timothy smiled and wrapped his arms around William, his eyes drifting closed, glad that they could be happy together like this.

"You truly have no control over this?" Will asked softly as he gently stroked fingers over his tail again.

"Ah!" Snake shook his head, "T-tried to move it…it won't listen…"

He stopped petting his tail, "Overly sensitive, is it?" William asked with a smirk.

Snake nodded, biting his lip lightly, "It's…strange…"

"But it isn't unpleasant, is it?"

"No…" he shook his head, shifting down to bring himself even closer to his lover.

"Good," William said softly as he turned on his side and drew the young man into his arms and kissed the top of hi head. "Where did you learn to dance like that, if I may ask?"

"Shortly after I was saved by Joker and joined the circus…and I was starting to work with my friends to find a performance…we ran into a caravan of gypsies. We were traveling the same way for a few weeks so we traveled together and some of them saw me working with Oscar. They suggested I dance with him…so they taught me."

"It is a very good performance, though I hope it did not attract the wrong sort of people."

Timothy blinked, confused, "What…do you mean, William?"

"It was a very sensual dance. If many other reacted the same way I did...I just hope it didn't get you the wrong sort of attention."

"…Wrong sort…?" He said, still confused until the hissing of Oscar caught his attention and he glanced over at the serpent, the hissed words making him realize what William meant, "We would have protected him if someone tried to do anything to Snake…Says Oscar."

"And I'm sure you would have done an admirable job," William said to Oscar, then he moved to roll off the couch and scooped Timothy up into his arms. "Now come on, let's get ourselves cleaned up and ready for bed." He carried Snake into the bathroom and started the shower, "That is, if you don't mind that I join you?"

A bright blush painted over the remaining pink of his cheeks as the young demon shook his head, "O-of course I…don't mind…" he said, biting his lip and walking over to pull two towels out for use afterwards.

"Excellent," William said with a soft smile as he stepped into the shower and pulled Timothy with him under the warm water.

The boy closed his eyes as he was pulled under the falling water, soaking his hair before whipping his eyes dry and opening them to look up at his soaked lover, his normally neat hair fallen and clinging to his face. The sight was new. He had seen William with wet hair before, but the man had always combed it back after his showers, and he often woke up before Timothy because of work, so William with messy hair of any sort was rarely seen. The demon couldn't help himself; popping up onto his toes to press a kiss to his lover's lips, water rolling down both of their faces.

Will wrapped arms around the boy and pulled him in close to return the gentle kiss. This was a rare and sweet moment and he could think of nothing finer. Keeping their kiss connected, William reached for the soap and lathered up his hands to run them over Snake's shoulders, down his back and sides, and over the base of his tail and the curve of his rear, memorizing the shape and feel of the young man, committing it to memory.

Timothy gasped into the kiss, reaching over to the bar of soap himself to lather his hands up before running them over the reaper's smooth chest and shoulders, trailing the soap down to his hips.

Will greatly enjoyed the attention his young lover was giving him. It was terribly sweet and every bit Timothy. He pulled away from the kiss to press his lips to his forehead, nose, and cheeks, bringing up his soapy hands to caress over the boy's neck and shoulders once more, "I don't think you realize how beautiful you are," he said softly as he looked into his lover's eyes before pulling him tight against him again, letting the water wash over them. "I truly do love you."

"I'm…" Timothy blushed all over again, "You are the beautiful one, William…" And he meant it. The reaper had been able to look past Snake's appearance as well as what he turned out to be. He had taken him, and all his friends into his home, and truly cared for him. If that wasn't beauty, then he didn't know what was. Of course physically, the reaper was also handsome and nearly irresistible. Even more so since his father's blood awoke within him and he could feel his lustful desires all the more.

Will cupped the young man's face and drew him in for another soft kiss, feeling every bit in love as he had before. He wondered how he had ever questioned it. He was undeserving of such a beautiful, loving partner, but as long as Timothy wanted him, Will knew he would do anything to stay by his side; demon or not.

Snake smiled into the kiss. He could actually feel his shyness around this man slowly disintegrate with every kiss or touch. It felt freeing; like weights were being removed from his shoulders that had been stopping him from actually living his life. With this realization, Snake deepened the kiss himself, letting himself to run his tongue over the reaper's lips.

Will accepted the kiss eagerly. Anytime Timothy showed initiative, William automatically encouraged it. He liked knowing he was wanted, that he could inspire certain things within his lover. He slid his tongue along Snake's softly, gently, but not too much to overtake the kiss.

The young demon moaned, encircling his arms around William's shoulders, pulling himself in closer and pressing their dripping bodies together. Will was slightly surprised by Timothy's eagerness, but he would not complain at all. He loved the way the young man fit against him, the way the water shimmered on his scales, the way his skin slid against his own so perfectly. The reaper's hands wandered over Snake's body again, seeking to caress every dip and curve as he moaned softly into his mouth.

Finally, Snake pulled out of the kiss, his eyes flickering open slowly to look up into William's, "…I love you…" he breathed.

Will's cheeks flushed and he smiled softly down at Timothy, his heart fluttering hearing those words come from him so softly and sweetly, "I love you, too," he whispered back as he rested their foreheads together.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	10. Chapter 10

Snake groaned, rolling over in his sleep before waking up. The room was still pitch black, so he reached out to find the candle on the table next to the bed, and the box of matches. But before he could strike a match, he dropped the box, abandoning the idea of light. He needed the bathroom sooner. Pressing his hand over his mouth, he ran to the bathroom and bent over the toilet, heaving violently into the bowl as soon as he got there.

Will groggily reached for Timothy, suddenly feeling cold, but his hand only met empty space. He blinked open his eyes and met darkness, but he heard Snake in the bathroom, obviously not feeling well. Will pushed on his glasses and lit the bedside candle, hurrying to the bathroom to check on his ill mate. He set the candle down on the edge of the sink and went to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water and knelt next to him to soothingly rub his back and pull his hair back to keep it out of his face.

Timothy heaved a few more times before sitting back on his heels and looking up at William, "…Di-did I wake you?"

Will shook his head groggily, "Are you alright?" he asked as he offered the glass of water.

Snake thanked the reaper and took the glass, using the first mouthful to rinse out his mouth and spit it into the toilet before drinking some. "…I feel better now…"

"Good," William said as he stifled a yawn. "Would you like to come back to bed?"

Snake nodded and flushed the toilet, reaching out to hold his lover's hand, wanting to be closer to him.

Will drew the young man into his arms to pet his hair soothingly.

"Come on. Let's get back to sleep," he said nuzzling his white locks sleepily as he dragged his feet back to the bed and pulled his lover into his arms again to fall back into slumber.

Timothy curled up tight against his lover, clinging to his pajama shirt needfully. He couldn't help but think that something wasn't right. It had been a few months since he and William had first met with Sebastian and he had met with the demon a few times since. One of the times, it had been mentioned that demons didn't fall ill. That they were immune to such ailments…so why had he gotten sick just now? Is it because of his human half?

Will sleepily pet Timothy's hair as the boy clung to him. The poor thing felt tense and it didn't seem like he would be going back to sleep easily, "Are you worried?" Will asked tiredly.

Snake nodded, "Black said demons don't get sick…but I did…and I feel warm…stomach feels funny too…" he muttered in a low voice.

"It could just be something you ate," Will assured tiredly as he placed his hand over Snake's belly to rub soothing circles. "If you still feel strange in a few hours, we can go ask Sebastian if there might be something he didn't tell you about, or I can take you to a doctor."

"I don't think the reaper doctors like me much…they always gave me strange looks when Red brought me in to see you…" he said, his eyes fluttering shut from the light circles William was rubbing into his belly. It was relaxing, "…Besides…you have to work…you should go back to sleep so you don't get sick, too…"

"I am simply going to assume something you ate did not agree with you, but honestly, if you do not feel better by the morning, we will at least go to Sebastian, alright?" William yawned again as he continued petting Timothy's stomach.

"…All right…" the young man said, relaxing against his lover more and nuzzling into his pillow. He couldn't fall asleep again, but he was able to lay in William's arms and relax.

Will was able to drift back into sleep again, but it wasn't for much longer as his alarm went off only a little over an hour later. He could have burrowed deeper into the blankets and gone back to sleep for another hour or so as he wasn't due in until about noon that day, but he might as well wake up. He cracked his eyes open and nuzzled into Timothy more.

"How are you feeling?" he asked sleepily.

"…Same." Snake replied, sounding wide awake as he still hadn't fallen back to sleep yet.

Will rubbed a hand over his face, "You didn't get back to sleep, did you?" the reaper sighed and sat up. "Come on, let's get dressed and see if we can bother Mr. Michaelis this early in the morning. If he has no answers, then we seek out a doctor. Fair enough?"

"…Don't like doctors…" he muttered, but nodded, sitting up and walking over to dress himself.

Will dressed quickly and made them a light and bland breakfast of tea and toast, hoping it would not upset Snake's stomach further. He hoped it was just a food thing and not his blood...that would be extremely bad if William's blood was suddenly having an adverse effect on his lover...But, their best hope was to ask Sebastian if that could even be the case. So, they left for the Phantomhive estate, approached through the servant's entrance, and asked to speak to Sebastian when he was available.

It took a while before the butler finally appeared; "Snake? I assume you have another question for me? You'll have to make it quick. The young master is expecting guests."

Snake bit his lip and looked up at William before nodding at the butler, "…Got sick this morning…says Goethe."

The demon blinked in surprise, " _You_ got ill, Snake? Are you sure?"

"Yes, he was vomiting this morning. I assumed it was something he ate...but part of me fears it could possibly be my blood. I let him drink a little everyday. That isn't a problem is it?"

"It's not your blood. Not even Angel blood can make him sick." The demon said, ushering them inside to a privet room and setting Snake down on a chair, removing his gloves from his hands to press his fingers to the young half-demon's forehead, "Can't be human food either. We don't get sick. Food poisoning is not something that can affect us, even half-humans. Can't be allergic to anything either…but you do seem unnaturally warm for a demon…especially a snake…Forgive me for this." The butler took Snake's hand and lifted it, using his nail to make a small cut in the skin and squeezing a small bead of blood out before licking it up. His frown deepened, "…There…is something odd going on with you, I can taste something unfamiliar in your blood…but I can't tell what it is."

"So something is amiss," Will said with a frown. "Should I take him to see a doctor?"

"I don't see the point. Humans are pointless and I highly doubt your medical reapers could determine what is going on in a demon's body. We'll have to keep an eye on him…"

"So what might you suggest? That he simply rest?"

"Might help. But to also keep an eye on him for any changes." He stood up, "Maybe later it will be more apparent as to what is going on with him. But for now I must return to my duties. Good day, Snake, Mister Spears." He said, showing them out.

William thanked the butler as they were shown out and started escorting Snake back home.

"I guess there isn't much else we can do at this point," William sighed. "Just don't push yourself. If you do not feel well, then rest."

Snake nodded, leaning against his lover and looking down at his feet as they walked, "I…I know we already had breakfast but…but I'm hungry again…" he said after they had been walking a ways.

"That's a good thing. It means your appetite has not been affected," William said with a soft smile. "Is there something in particular you wish to eat? Or perhaps you'd like to go home and I shall make you something?"

He shook his head, "Just hungry."

As the two lovers walked, they were unaware of a pair of yellow eyes watching them from above in the trees. A message had reached him only a few minutes before from a certain crow demon about finding the 'lost child', and he wanted to see this for himself. The demon, Tristin, smiled and silently moved along through the branches to keep up with the Reaper and the boy, eyes locked on him to read every inch of his movements, actions, and words.

"Then how about we enjoy ourselves at a cafe so that we do not have to worry about dishes? An early morning date of sorts?" Will asked softly, putting an arm around Timothy's shoulders as they walked.

The young demon nodded, "…But…don't you have work soon…?" he asked, looking up at the reaper before resting his head on his shoulder.

Tristin slipped down out of the tree to stand at the trunk as the two walked up onto where he was waiting, watching them both with a gentle smile. "…Yes, we would not want our hard-working Reaper late for work, would we?"

William had been about to lean down to press a kiss to the top of Timothy's head and tell him not to worry, but the unfamiliar voice caught his attention. He started and subtly moved to stand in front of Snake, wondering how this man he'd never seen before would know what he was. He managed to keep his expression neutral though he quirked an eyebrow, "Sir, I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about," he said politely.

Snake blinked in surprise, his fingers gripping his lover's arm as he peaked around his shoulder at the newcomer. He could sense the man was a demon, faintly as if it was being hidden, and his yellow eyes sent a shiver down the boy's back.

"Yes you do." he grinned, walking over to the both of them. He tapped a dark nail to the frame of Will's glasses, giving him a wink before turning to the boy. "…You certainly _are_ a special one...it would be nice if what I've been told is true. I've been rather worried…" he murmured, his smirk fading back to a soft smile as he stepped around the Reaper to see the boy better. "…What is your name?"

"…Sn-Snake…says Goethe…" Timothy squeaked nervously.

William drew back slightly with an unamused expression when his glasses were tapped. There was no doubt he was a demon and Will's hackles were raised as the man spoke to them so casually, and he moved to place himself in front of Timothy again. He would not risk the boy's safety if this was a demon after harming him due to his heritage. "Pardon me," William said, his jaw slightly clenched with irritation, though he was still trying to be polite as they were out in the middle of a public human street. "But who are you?"

"Tristin. But you may call me 'sir'." the demon replied, glancing up at Will as he blocked his path again. "I am merely here to speak with the boy and learn more about him. I believe that we may have some in common..." He lowered his gaze back to Snake, tilting his head slightly. "He does have the familiar quality to him…"

Timothy raised his golden eyes to meet Tristin's, "…D-don't…h-hurt William…s-says myself." He stuttered nervously.

"You may speak with him, sir, if he so wishes it," William said calmly and politely. "Otherwise, please back off a little. We do not know you and you are making him nervous."

"I mean to harm to neither of you, deus da morte." He reassured them, holding a hand out towards Snake. "But I would require a simple drop of blood to confirm any suspicions...it's all right."

Snake bit his lip and glanced at William, then at Goethe before reaching his hand out to the demon.

William watched warily as Snake offered his hand to the demon. He did not think it would be a good idea, but it was the boy's decision, not his. The reaper was on the defensive, ready to summon his scythe at a moment's notice should things go south.

The demon's smile widened as he gently took the boy's hand in his own, guiding him closer and turning his hand palm up. He then quickly slit a small cut in Snake's finger and leaned down to kiss it, tasting the blood. His eyes widened. "…So it's true. I've found you at last, mo mhac…" he whispered, reaching up to stroking his hair before resting his hand against his cheek. "I'm sorry to have left you alone for so long…but I am grateful to this Reaper and your friends to keep you company."

Snake's eyes widened, "Y-y-you're my…my father?" he gasped, his nervousness increasing as his suspicions were confirmed.

Will started again as he fought against his natural urge to pull Timothy away from...well, Lucifer, "Y-you're-" William paused and swallowed to calm himself. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Sir, you-" he paused again, the words just not coming to him as he tried to process the situation.

Tristin nodded, pausing as he seemed to be thinking over something, the taste of the other's blood still lingering on his tongue. There was something...else. The boy's blood seemed to hold something extra to it. His gaze fell back onto William, eyeing him suspiciously. Did he know? Did either of them know? From the look the Reaper was giving him, it was certain he was more terrified of Tristin himself than anything else. He sighed, looking back at Snake again with another gentle smile. "Yes, I am. A little birdy mentioned that you had been found...I hope that what I am doesn't put you out...let alone _who_ I am…"

Snake shook his head nervously, but the motion caused another wave of nausea to wash over him and he leaned against William heavily, his skin going uncomfortably warm, yet he still felt cold at the same time.

William was unsure as to what to say to the demon, but Timothy suddenly leaning against him for support knocked all else out of his head. Will's attention immediately went to his lover as he supported him. He wasn't looking well and Will simply scooped the lithe young man up into his arms.

"Let's get you home where you can rest and talk comfortably," he suggested softly. He wasn't sure if he wanted Lucifer in his home, but he also figured it didn't really matter in the end. If he wanted to, he could get in...and Timothy needed to rest and talk to his...father. Will looked to Tristin, "Sir, if you'll follow me," he said with a nod and started walking towards his flat.

Tristin nodded, following the two closely as he frequently looked over at Snake, knowing the condition he was in was weakening him. It was nothing new for him to witness such impossibilities, but he had only just found his son. At least the Reaper was being civil about the whole thing.

Snake slid his arms around his lover, hiding his face in his shoulder before lifting it enough to look at his father…it was entirely possible that the high demon knew more about demon things than Sebastian did…maybe he did know of something that could make him feel so sick, "…Father? I…is there something that can make a demon sick..? asks myself." He asked timidly.

Fortunately, they hadn't been very far from the apartment and Will was able to get them up the stairs and inside rather quickly. He shooed away a couple of snakes and set Timothy on the couch before going back to the front door and moving to close it behind Tristin. This was all so...weird. He thought when faced with _the_ demon, he'd be filled with insane hatred, but the man seemed so normal that it was hard to believe he was who he claimed to be, "You're welcome to have a seat," William offered, feeling incredibly awkward about the whole affair, but honestly, his mind was more focused on Timothy. He hurried into the kitchen to quickly make him something to eat. Food might help with the dizziness.

"I'm afraid you're not simply 'sick'." Tristin replied quietly, stepping in behind them as he turned to William. "I suggest you remain in here for this news, Reaper Spears…he will be fine, I assure you, but seeing as you are the cause of this…" He motioned to one of the chairs beside the couch Snake was laying on, taking a seat in the other.

"B-But William…how could…" Snake bit his lip, not quite understanding.

Will's brow furrowed at the demon. Was it his blood? Did he require a different source to feed on? Or maybe it was his very presence? He'd never heard of a demon being adversely affected by the mere presence of a reaper, but Snake was an unusual demon. Tristin said he would be fine, but did he mean that as in 'he will be fine once he is away from you'? William didn't want that at all...but if it meant Timothy's health...

"What is it?" William asked softly, fearing the worst as he sat numbly.

Tristin cocked his head slightly, noting that both seemed to be looking more nervous at just his words. He couldn't help but chuckle quietly in amusement. "I said he will be fine, and I mean it. He...appears to be with-child...by your doing, naturally." He nodded to William before looking back at Snake, beaming. "But because you are a male carrying to term, there will be some slight troubles from time to time, such as the over-whelming emotions and nausea along with pain and hunger. However, it will be worth it in the end…" He leaned back in the chair, glancing at Will again. "As long as you stay close to him, all will be fine. I will help too, seeing as I simply could not give up the chance to spend more time with my son and unborn grand-child…"

"I…I'm…I…" over-whelmed completely, Timothy lay down on the couch and curled into a ball. He was with-child? That kind of thing was possible? He started to breath harder, panicking slightly.

Wait...what? Timothy was...what? William blinked slowly as if that would help make more sense of the information. Tristin spoke of it as if it were the most natural thing in the world when it decidedly was not. How could a male reaper impregnate a male demon? It didn't make _sense!_ But before he could even begin to think of questions to ask, William saw that his young lover was in distress. Will moved to kneel at his side and gently caressed his face, "Timothy," he said softly, soothingly. "It's alright. Just take deep breaths." William took the boy's hand and squeezed it reassuringly as he breathed with him.

"B-b-but I c-can't be…w-we ca-can't…" Snake stuttered.

"It seems unlikely, I know.." Tristin sighed, getting up to kneel beside Will so to stroke the boy's cheek and forehead, "Normally, circumstances like this would be the other way around, but I am certain of this. You need to breath, son…slow your breathing and take it in deeper..."

Snake took a deep breath and bit his quivering lip.

It didn't escape Will's notice that Tristin had said it was normally the other way around...meaning Will could potentially be the one to—He shook away the dizzying thought, not understanding at all how it was even possible, but the symptoms seemed clear now...Mary complained of the same things when she'd been pregnant and now Timothy was? Will would take care of him, that was for certain. He'd done it before and he could do it again. He was a good uncle. He didn't mind—Wait.

Wait. Wait. _Wait_.

This meant William was going to be...a f- a  _father_?

He suddenly felt very dizzy and hot, his eyes rolling up slightly and he had to shake his head hard to gain focus again. He swallowed hard and blinked a few times. He wasn't sure how he felt about this at all, but more than anything he was worried about his lover. What was he thinking right now? Was he frightened? Did he even want this?

"Timothy," he said softly, still squeezing his hand. "If you do not want this, you do not have to go through with it...right?" Will asked, turning his question to Tristin, silently asking if it was possible to terminate the pregnancy if Snake didn't want it.

Timothy…the boy had a real name after all. Tristin smiled at the name before turning his attention to William, nodding. "It would be difficult, so I would be the one to do it…but it depends on both of you if you wish to keep the child and raise it."

Snake slowly sat up, looking from William to his demon father, then down at his stomach, pressing his hands to it. He was really carrying a child in him? His child? William's child? He felt his whole world; every reality he had left rip apart for the second time since he had entered William's home. First he was a demon, and now he, a male, was with-child? He was trapped in a strange dream. He had to be. It was all too surreal. He looked back at Tristin; "H-How c-can I be..? asks m-myself."

"I don't understand it myself. Really, how could he be? How would he even be able to give birth?" The reaper asked.

"First, any demon of any gender can carry a child, mainly because we are genderless but as fertile as humans. Some can accidentally switch genders partially during intercourse which would result in what we have here." Tristin motioned to Timothy before resting his hand lightly over the boy's stomach. "As for giving birth...I find it easier to extract the child by surgery, otherwise the child will cause more damage to be freed when the time comes, but we will worry about that later…for now, it's best to relax and be calm."

"B-But I never…I'm male, and…and Black never said anything about…" Timothy said, too many questions flooding his mind.

William sat up a little more, his concern for Snake completely overshadowing his own confusion and fear. As far as he knew, Tristin was telling the truth. There was no reason to doubt it and with the facts in hand, William was able to put a lid on his own bubbling emotions. He leaned over and turned Timothy to be able to look him in the eye while he gently held his face, causing the boy's words to trail off into a confused silent look. He locked their gazes and spoke softly and calmly to both get his attention and to try and calm him.

"Timothy, please calm down. Sebastian does not have all of the answers. He was helping as best he could," he said as he lifted his lover's hand to kiss it gently. "I am here with you, to support you and help you. It is a lot to think about and to try to understand, I know, but the one thing you have to remember is that if you do not want this, you do not have to go through with it. This is your body and your decision. Do you understand?"

"The little crow could possibly have been as confused as you are with how demon anatomy works, even when he is one. He is still young in the grand scheme of things." the demon shrugged lightly, lowering his hand down as he waited for the boy's answer. It was all up to him whether he wanted the child or not.

Timothy looked back down at himself, "…It…its part of William… I…I can't let it die…but…what if I can't…I never…not until…" he felt insecure about suddenly being a parent. He, after all, never had a real parent figure in his young life. Oscar and Emily had been the closest to that, but he doubted it was the same.

"Tell me what is troubling you," William implored. "This is a very big responsibility, I know, but you are not alone in this. All of it I will share with you. It isn't 'you', it's 'we'."

"And I will be of help now that I've found you." Tristin replied gently with a smile.

"…I...I don't know how to…says myself…"he said looking between the two men.

"No one automatically knows how to raise a child. There are basic things you learn, but on the whole, there is no set way of doing it. I lost my parents when I was very young and had to raise my infant sister, then later on my nephew so I have some experience. If that is what is troubling you, then that is perfectly normal. The real question is, do you want this? Truly?" William asked sincerely. "Do not take me into account for this. If you are not ready, then simply accept it and say something now."

Snake was silent for a long moment, looking between the two of them, "…I…I can't let it die…says myself…"

"But are you willing to take care of a child? To raise one?" Will asked softly. "If you are, Timothy, then I am as well."

A stubborn look made itself known on the shy young man's face, "I won't be like Mother and Grandfather…says myself."

Will couldn't help but smile softly at his mate's show of bravery and determination.

"Of course you won't. You couldn't be even if you tried," the reaper said as he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his lover's lips, not caring that Tristin was right there watching the both of them.

Timothy slid his arms around his lover's shoulders, hugging him tightly. He was nervous and unsure about suddenly being a parent, but he just couldn't stand the thought of not letting the child…his and William's child having a chance to live. And he could never bring himself to abandon the child in any way like he had been abandoned. For him the only option was to keep the child and raise him or her the best he could. He still didn't understand how any of this was possible; but it was his reality now.

Tristin smiled happily at the two of them, leaning up to press a kiss into Timothy's silver hair before getting to his feet. "I'll let you two have your moment while I make us some tea." he offered, wandering from the room and towards the kitchen.

"We are going to be fine," William reassured softly as he stroked Timothy's hair, letting the reality of it all settle in. "Though I think we are going to need to move," he chuckled softly. He was going to be a father...It was...amazing. Simply amazing. He'd been a caretaker for two very important children in his former life and that had been rewarding, but the fact that this child was going to be _his_ just seemed so surreal. And it was sure to be a beautiful child if he or she took after Timothy. Beautiful and kind. Will couldn't stop himself from pressing soft kisses to his lover's face, down his chest, and further still to his belly where he nuzzled affectionately.

What kind of life was he going to be able to provide for the baby and Timothy? How difficult was it going to be for a mixed race part reaper, part human, part demon? And would Will be able to keep them safe? Will sat with Timothy for a little while longer, mulling through everything in his mind and simply appreciating the moment until Tristin came back into the room with tea as he said he would.

"Sir, I apologize for the less than polite greeting, but I was caught off guard by your sudden appearance and all the news to follow. I am William Spears," he said offering his hand to the demon.

His smile still in place, Tristin rest the tray down on the table before them before straightening up to accept the gesture, taking William's hand with a small nod. "No need to apologize…I expected nothing different coming from a Reaper." he chuckled, taking a seat again in the chair beside them. "Also, you may call me 'Tristin' if you like…I find it easier to go by in this era seeing as my previous names don't go unnoticed."

Snake bit his lip and looked up at his lover and his father as they shook hands, "…You…you aren't going to make me leave William, are you..? asks myself." He timidly questioned.

"You are ...very different than I expected, sir," Will said with an obvious note of surprise. Then Timothy's question caught his attention. "Yes, I was going to ask something similar. Now that you have found Timothy, what is going to happen? Did you intend to take him away?"

"Dear me, no. I merely wanted to find him to confirm that I have a son with my obvious-genetics running around…and leave it at that." he shook his head, "I wasn't about to drag him below and force him to lead a new life...he is happy up here and with you, and I shall respect that. You should quit believing in those nasty stories about me." he added with a grin.

Snake perked up, "I…I can stay? Th-Thank you, Father…says myself." he smiled slightly.

"I honestly was not sure what to expect, sir. Up until very recently I have not had good experiences with demon kind, and you are quite the infamous demon. But, I thank you for taking his desires into consideration," Will said with a small nod. "Since you are now aware of him, I assume he also has your protection? Mr. Michaelis made it seem as if Timothy would be the target for many attacks and while I would do everything I possibly could to protect him, I fear I may not be enough."

The demon lord nodded curtly. "Of course…I will not let any harm come to family. I can set it as a strict rule to my kind, but I know many will go out of their way to disobey me." he sighed. "Nothing to worry over, though. Both of you will be watched over, I will personally see to it…also I like to make sure things are done properly instead of trusting others to do it for me." he grinned again, leaning over to take one of the cups of tea and taking a sip.

Snake blushed deeply, "Y-you won't watch… _all_ the time…would you? Asks…asks myself."

"I am still not sure how I feel about all of this, but for his safety, I am willing to give just about anything. I personally do not need to be guarded, thank you," William said politely. "I would feel much better if all of such attention was focused on Timothy."

William was having a very hard time believing this man was the Lucifer he'd heard about both in his mortal life and in his life as a reaper, but there was something weirdly genuine about him. He could sense there was some genuine affection coming from him... "Perhaps this will give you opportunity to bond with your son, sir. Having a parent to rely on at such a confusing and stressful time would be helpful, I'm sure."

"It certainly will," the devil responded with a small nod before turning his attention to Timothy's question. "Not all times, no…but enough to know if there is any potential danger. I will heighten the security around you in a different manner so even if my eyes or William's are not looking, I will be alerted if anything suspicious happens. You will be safe… _all_ of you." he added, glancing at William. "I know of the potential threat my kind holds to yours, William, and vice-versa, and I would appreciate that you do not wind up hurt because of it and have to be away from Timothy. You will need to be with him as well, unless work steals you away longer than you intend." He smiled knowingly. "If that ever is the case, do keep in mind that I am not as busy and will be around if needed."

"G-good…says myself…" Snake muttered quietly, leaning against the reaper and squeezing his arm.

It felt incredibly strange being told they were going to be looked after by Lucifer, but Will supposed if they were to have anyone protecting them there were few better choices. "Thank you for being so understanding, sir. I am sure it is not exactly ideal for your son to have chosen a reaper...nor were these the most appropriate circumstances to meet under."

"I really have no preference for whoever my children choose to love. Being it their choice, I haven't a say in the matter...hell, I'd choose a Reaper." he grinned, setting down his empty cup before leaning back again and crossing his legs comfortably. "I find your kind more understanding to love than those rabid flying pillow-stuffers upstairs. And we would have met during any sort of circumstance, be it appropriate or not."

Snake blinked, then couldn't help but give a quiet giggle, amused over his father's words describing the Angels.

Will looked to Timothy with a smile when he heard him laugh. He loved that sound. He loved seeing him smile and the fact that his father was the one to make him giggle made William decide right then and there that he would trust the man. Anyone that made Timothy happy was all right by him. Will moved to sit on the couch with his lover, putting a comforting arm around him, "I mean no offense, but even if you hadn't approved, I would not have given him up," Will said as he stroked Timothy's hair.

Tristin's grin widened at the adorable sound coming from Timothy. "Ah, not to worry. If by some strange coincidence I was disapproving, the most I would do would be grumpy and never leave you both alone until I was proven that you could take good care of him." he replied with a shrug, smirking afterwards. "But I know for sure we needn't come to that. I'm glad to know my son's in very good hands."

"I…I help take care of William too!" Snake said suddenly, "And…and I wouldn't go away if you were a mean father…s-says myself."

"You are a very understanding father. Never really having the chance to know mine well, I cannot make many personal comparisons, but from all the lives I've witnessed, you are certainly unique, sir." Will couldn't help but smile again at Timothy. It seemed being around his father was drawing out all sorts of interesting reactions and behaviors. It was both amusing and endearing, "Indeed you do take care of me," he said as he pressed a soft kiss to his temple.

* * *

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The OC Tristin belongs to my good friend Genna.


	11. Chapter 11

Snake sighed and pushed himself up from the sofa with slight difficulty and walked to the kitchen, opening the icebox and pulling out a slice of cake. His snake friends making sure to slither out of the way as he walked so he wouldn't trip and fall. It had been several months, and the young half-demon had begun to show, All of his clothes stretching uncomfortably over his round belly He sat down on the sofa again, enjoying the warm spring breeze wafting in through the window as he dug into his large slice of cake, partially glad William wasn't there to regulate how many sweets he consumed.

It had been forever since Grell had seen Timmy and he wondered why Will was being so secretive about him. Whenever he'd ask, Will would just give him a short but positive answer. Obviously things had worked out for them, but William would always rush home and Grell didn't have the heart to bust in on their happy little honeymoon phase. But that day, he was getting off work early and the supervisor was stuck in the office for the first time in a long time. It was perfect.

It having become a custom, Grell stopped at a small bakery on the way and picked up a little something to go with tea and headed for Will's flat, hoping that the boy would be home himself. Of course, feeling, polite this time, he knocked.

Snake looked up from his half-eaten cake when he heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was his father again, as the demon did knock half the time, the other half he would just materialize in the room, he brushed the crumbs from his lips. He didn't feel like getting up again after having just sat back down. "C-Come in…says myself." He called out, slightly louder than his normal quiet volume.

Grell heard the soft permission to enter and he practically burst through the door, "Timmy~!" he said brightly as he bounded into the room, minding to close the door behind him, of course. "It's been so long, darling! I simply had to see if Will was treating you well and didn't have you chained to the bed for nefarious purposes," he said with a leer as he pranced towards the kitchen. "I brought cream puffs this time, let me just go make us some tea and we can catch-" As he'd moved to the kitchen, he caught sight of the boy on the sofa, saw his round belly and the plate of cake in his hand, "Oh, darling, you look quite...different," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"B-Baby…says myself…" Timothy blushed, pointing at his stomach.

Grell's brow furrowed. Baby? He ate a baby? No, that wasn't right. He'd never do such a thing. But, his rounded belly did remind Grell of a pregnant woman...could that be-?

"But you're a boy," Grell said flatly. "...Aren't you?

Snake gave a shy nod, "Gender doesn't always matter to demons…said Father."

"Father? As in Anderson? Or as in _your_ father? As in Lucifer?" Grell asked, his eyes going wide.

"Father likes the name Tristin more…" He nodded quietly, "Father is nice…He and William get along…says myself."

"Wh-what?!" Grell exclaimed, nearly dropping the small box of pastries. "Will met him?! And—and…I need to sit down." Grell moved to sit on the sofa next to Snake and pinched the bridge of his nose as he went over things in his mind, "So, somehow, Will got you pregnant, you met your daddy and so has Will, and they...get along..." Grell said with a shiver down his spine. That was just too shocking. "And does daddy approve of his son getting knocked up by a reaper?"

"Better than a fluffy vulture…said father." Snake said with a small smile, "Father just wants us to be happy…but I think William is a little afraid of Father…says myself.

"It'd be a little unhealthy for him to _not_ be afraid, don't you think? Your daddy is the Prince of Darkness, after all. A bit of caution and respect is due," Grell said with a shrug, feeling really strange having just said that. This situation was just weird. "So you and Will are having a baby...That's just unbelievable," he said in a shocked tone. "It's not bad, darling, just...wow."

"Scary…" Timothy admitted softly, "I don't know what to do…says myself…"

"Oh, darling, it's fine to be scared. It is a frightening thing becoming a parent, but with how sweet you are I have no doubt you'll be a fine one," Grell said reassuringly.

"R-really….?" Timothy nearly squeaked.

Grell gave a gentle nod and reached out to move a lock of hair over the boy's ear, "You are going to be absolutely lost at first, but listen to your instincts, darling, and love that child with all your heart and you can't go wrong. I can help answer some questions. I was a father once upon a time," he said with a wistful smile.

"Y-you were..?" he blinked in surprise, "asks myself…"

Grell nodded softly, "When I was mortal, I had myself a son and a daughter, twins, actually," he said with a small smile. "I nearly went out of my mind when they were born, though their dear mother, my wife, did not survive the birth. I never thought I could love anything as dearly as I loved those precious darlings. Of course, I was terrified and was entirely lost as to what to do with them, but my little Timothy and Teagan knew they were loved."

Timothy blushed and blinked in surprise, "...Is…is he why…why you insisted on…calling me 'Markie'..? asks myself…"

"Partly, I suppose," Grell laughed softly. "I simply thought it was nicer to call you by a real name rather than 'Snake' and I was stuck on it." He looked down at the box in his hands, then over at Timmy and his cake.

"I'll go put on some tea and you can enjoy these along with your cake there, darling. I'm sure Will is not being very indulgent with your diet, is he?" he snickered as he stood.

Snake shook his head, "Says the baby needs real food…but the baby says it wants cake…says myself." He smiled.

"I won't tell him anything," Grell winked and went to start the kettle before settling himself on the couch next to the boy.

"So what's it like, darling? How does it feel?" he asked looking pointedly at Timothy's belly.

"Strange….and bubbly…says myself…" he said, running a hand over his stretched stomach.

"Well of course it feels strange," Grell giggled and reached out towards his belly, then drew his hand back. "Oh, sorry, may I?"

Snake looked up at the red-head, then gave a small nod.

Grell reached out and put his hand to the young man's belly, grinning like an idiot as he did so, "You're so lucky, Timmy~! Have you given any thought to names yet?"

Snake shook his head, "…should I be?"

"Don't ask me," Grell laughed. "It's _your_ baby! Oh, but I'm going to spoil it rotten. It is my prerogative as an uncle!"

Snake blushed looking down, his voice dropping even quieter, "…I…I thought you would want to be its aunt…says myself."

"Oh, I can be an auntie, too, I suppose. Whatever the little darling wants to call me, I'll be fine with it," he said with a smile and looked to the kitchen when he heard the kettle whistling. "Be back in a moment."

He got the tea and brought out a couple of cups and plates and poured Timothy a cup and handed it to him along with a cream puff.

"If Will is being mean and not letting you have what you want, let me know and I will indulge your sweet tooth. It's not nice to make a mommy want," Grell grinned. "My darling Bridget nearly lopped my head off when I told her she wasn't allowed raw meat. Small bits to feed your cravings are perfectly fine!"

Snake bit his lip before he timidly reached over and tugged on the redhead's sleeve, "…Can…can we be friends, Red..? asks myself." He nearly squeaked.

"Of course, darling. I thought we already were. I don't exactly make deals with demons for those I don't care about, you know," Grell grinned.

"I…I never had a non-serpent friend before…says myself." He muttered.

"Well now you do," Grell grinned. "I simply gave you a hard time before because, well, I wasn't sure of you. But you are obviously good for Will and you're here to stay. At least, I hope you are."

Snake nodded, nibbling on his cream puff, "I…I hope so too…but I don't think William will ask me to leave…says myself."

"I should hope not!" Grell said with a raised eyebrow. "You're having his baby. The man ought to marry you, I think," Grell said with a curt nod before taking a bit of his own cream puff.

Immediately, Timothy's entire face deepened to a dark red that nearly rivaled the scarlet reaper's hair, and Grell leaned over to brush the hair out of Timmy's face and looked at him with concern, "Are you alright, darling?"

Snake nodded, "F-fine…says myself…" he peeped.

"Okayyyyy..." Grell said with a questioning look wondering what was making the boy act so strangely...and a thought occurred to him. "You two haven't eloped have you? I would kill William if he went and did that without telling me," the redhead growled.

Snake shook his head, "B-baby is the only secret…says myself"

"Good," Grell huffed. "Still, the man should put a ring on your finger if he's going to have a kid with you. He's head over heels in love with you, I'm surprised he hasn't-" But Grell was interrupted by the sound of the door opening and Will stepped into the apartment. "Oh, speak of the devil," Grell grinned. "Or, no, not really in this case since he actually could show up couldn't he? Doesn't matter. William T. Spears!" the redhead called from the couch. "What is this about toping young Timmy here and knocking him up, yet you don't have the decency to marry the boy?"

William had heard Grell's voice and stepped out of the entryway with a look of confusion and disbelief on his face and a few files in his hands. This wasn't exactly what he'd thought he'd come home to after having just paid a visit to a Realtor, "...What are you doing here, Sutcliff?"

"No, no, answer my question first. I thought you'd been acting funny about your little snakeling, but I hadn't expected _this._ "

"…Red brought cream puffs…baby says he can stay…says myself." Snake said, his blush showing no sign of fading as he nibbled on his treat.

"Yes, because Timmy says you aren't letting him eat whatever he wants. That's just mean, Will," Grell frowned slightly. "Now about making him an honest young man-" Grell was yet again interrupted by William approaching him and clapping a hand over his mouth, then dragging him off into the kitchen. The low rumbling of conversation came through the door, the words muffled beyond understanding until there was a shout from Grell of: "Well why didn't you _say_ so?!"

Shortly after, the two reapers came out of the kitchen, William looking unperturbed, Grell smiling sheepishly as he took his seat on the couch again. William approached Timothy with the files in hand, "I was running a little late tonight because I had visited a realtor to see what homes were available...I wanted to go over them with you tonight."

Snake blinked, "…homes?" he asked, tugging William's sleeve to get him to sit down next to him so he could rest against his lover after not seeing him for so long. He had become a little clingier since the baby had grown larger.

"Alright, alright," Grell sighed as he stood up and shoved William down into the seat he'd just vacated. "I can tell that I'm interrupting happy family time. Now, you two play nice, and Timmy, you can contact me if you need anything, alright?" he smiled gently at the young man and leaned in to kiss his forehead. "Congratulations, darling." With that, the redhead scampered out the door, leaving William to wonder just why the redhead's attitude had changed so much. He didn't think on it long though as he put an arm around his lover and pulled him close.

"I was looking for a new home for us," he said softly. "We need more space for the three of us, as well as your friends and Mary. I was just wondering if there was anything in particular you wanted for our home. Plenty of windows, a garden, anything like that?"

"I…I do miss having a garden to relax in…" the shy demon said softly, "I liked to knit on warm days…made sweaters for my friends for the winter time…"

"Perhaps not something in the city proper, then," William said rifling through the papers. "There was one house in particular I thought might be ideal. It's about a half hour outside of the city, but it is on several acres so it has a garden and a small stable should we wish to keep a horse. Of course, it has several bedrooms so there would be plenty of room for all of us...and there are fields and meadows on the property for our little one to run around in..."

"C-can we afford all that?" he blushed, looking at the papers in his lover's hand.

"Of course," William said as he looked down at Timothy with a soft smile. "I've lived simply all these years because I had no reason to live otherwise. I have much in savings that we will use for this. I will, of course, continue to work, and after the baby is born if you wish to return to work, I suppose we could hire a nanny." William actually did not like the idea of leaving their child with a stranger, but if they could find someone they knew and absolutely trusted, that would be a different story.

Snake shook his head, not keen on the idea of leaving their child alone…especially after living for so many months being literally inseparable from the child. "…Baby…will need a name…"

Will saw his lover shake his head and he thought a little more, "Then you stay home with the baby, and perhaps when you need a break or wish to run errands...perhaps your father can take over?" Will mused aloud. It was strange to think in those terms, but, again, there were fewer beings in existence their child could ever be safer with...and he was so affectionate with Timothy Will was sure Tristin would lose his mind over a baby…a grandchild. "And, yes, we probably should start thinking of names," Will said softly as he placed his hand over his lover's swollen belly. "Have you any ideas?"

Snake shook his head, "Used them all…" he said, pointing to the snakes around the room, then he paused, "…Mary…is a special name for you…"

"It is," William said with a soft nod. "But I've already raised one Mary and as dearly as I loved her, this little one I want to be unique to his or her own self."

Snake nodded and looked down at his belly, "…Daniel?" he suggested after a moment of silence.

Will tossed the name around in his mind for a little bit and gave a nod.

"Daniel is a fine name. Or Danielle. Either way, we can call him or her Dani. Our Dani," he said with a warm smile as he leaned down to press a kiss to his lover's belly. Then he sat up and pressed a soft kiss to Timothy's lips, "I love you," he murmured softly.

Timothy smiled and leaned against William, entwining his arms around the reaper, "I love you too, William." He nuzzled his cheek against him, enjoying the closeness.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	12. Chapter 12

Only a couple weeks later, William had bought the house and had everything moved. He had even gone shopping with Timothy for things for the nursery and he'd gotten them a horse and a small buggy for the daily trips to town. It took them several more weeks to settle into a routine where Will would drive Timothy into the city for work when he felt up to it and he would come pick him up every night to escort him back home. Though sometimes it was difficult, Grell had stepped in and insisted on taking on extra work to ensure Will could get going on time everyday. When the red reaper could not, he bullied others into helping and somehow managed to not let the truth slip.

William had just picked up Timothy as well as a few things to make dinner, and was eager to get on home when a carriage in front of them refused to move. The street was congested with foot traffic so it would be difficult to go around and Will wondered just who had done such a poor job of parking.

Will hopped down from the buggy and approached the driver of the carriage to see what the delay was and looked up to see the blond cook of the Phantomhive manor. He wasn't sure if the man would recognize him, but, regardless, he wanted to get going and the poor parking job was making things difficult. He opened his mouth to speak to him when he saw Sebastian and his young master emerging from a townhouse just across the street and they were headed back towards the carriage. He shook his head and headed back to his buggy and Timothy, hopping back up into his seat as he waited for the carriage to move.

The demon butler escorted his mater to the carriage and opened the cab door for him, helping him up into it before glancing back and spotting the irritated reaper behind them. He smiled and gave a bow, excusing himself before approaching the reaper; "It has been quite a while since you and young Snake has visited me. I hope you are both doing well?" he inquired politely.

Snake poked his head over William's shoulder and smiled; feeling particularly happy at the moment. Though his mood-swings had started to become more drastic as of late. "Hello Black…says myself."

"Quite a lot has happened since we last spoke, but yes, we are well, thank you. Oh, and I also thank you for sending word to Timothy's father. He has visited several times and has quite happily taken him under his protection, so, thank you again for that," William said with a nod.

"Really?" the demon blinked in surprise, "Well, it seems he is a family man after all. No wonder why you have not come to me, Snake. I trust that whatever was ailing you has passed?"

Snake smiled and shook his head, "Still here…says myself." He said happily.

"It isn't exactly an ailment," William said as he blushed slightly and looked away.

"Oh? Then what is it?" Sebastian asked, allowing a confused look to grace his features.

"Baby…said Father. Going to be our Dani…says myself."

The butler's expression turned to shock; "…you…what?"

"Yes, ah, Timothy is about seven months along now," Will said, unable to hide a small smile of happiness.

"Has anyone ever told you that your smile is creepy. It even gives me the chills." The demon commented.

"Be nice, Black! …says myself." Timothy snapped, hugging his lover protectively from behind.

"If I'd known my smile would repel you, I'd have unleashed it on you long before now," Will said with a raised eyebrow.

"On the contrary; being a demon I find it quite attractive, Spears."

Snake glared, "Go away, Black…says myself." He pouted, hugging the reaper tighter.

The demon butler laughed, giving a small bow, "Not to worry, my prince, I'm not the kind of demon who peruses the idea of Romance. The reaper is all yours."

Will started slightly at Timothy's reaction, but it made him turn his head to smile at the young man a bit.

"It's alright, Timothy. No one can have me but you," he said softly then turned back to the butler.

"Your prince has had a long day of work and would like to be getting home soon, but your cook is blocking traffic. Could you perhaps have him move so that we may pass?"

The demon nodded, "The young master has another appointment soon. I simply was curious as to Snake's condition." He said, bowing his head and turning to join Ciel in the cab before Bardroy started the carriage moving again.

"Thank you, Mr. Michaelis," William said with a nod and began driving as soon as he was able. He couldn't help but look over at Timothy with a small smile. "I've never seen you be possessive before."

"I…" he blushed, "I…I didn't like how he looked at you…" he admitted against his shoulder, wiggling around to sit next to his lover.

"It's quite alright," Will laughed softly as he pressed a kiss to Timothy's temple. "I would have much the same reaction if he were to speak of you the same way."

He drove along behind the Earl's carriage for a good distance through the city until they pulled off again and Will quickly passed them before traffic could set in and trap them again. They rode along in comfortable silence out into the country. Their typical road home was blocked due to debris a recent bad storm and they were forced to take another route. It was no trouble until they passed a small church along the road and a brilliant flash of white caught Will's attention. He looked up towards the steeple and saw the form of an angel, it's wings...no, _wing_ catching the fading rays of the sun. He drew in a quick breath and urged to horse to go faster as he hoped the angel would not notice them, but it was not to be.

"Impure spawn of Satan!" he yelled from his perch before leaping down and heading straight for them. "You will pay for befouling me with your filthy hands!" the angel snarled.

Snake gasped; the angel's shout successful in catching his attention. "William…" he said, moving around to hide behind his lover, mostly to protect their unborn child. His own movement was restricted and slow, so he, even if he could fight the angel again, he wouldn't want to risk the child. William would have to fight if it came down to it.

Will drew out his scythe and pressed a kiss to his lover's face.

"Go!" he yelled as he gave a quick flick to the reins and pressed them into Timothy's hands. Snake took the reins but gave his lover a worried look before he leapt from the moving buggy and ran towards the angel as it was running towards them, his scythe leveled to spear it. The angel sneered and summoned his own weapon, the same spear as before, and charged William head on.

The angel swung his spear at the reaper, "Didn't I kill you, reaper?"

William ignored the angel's taunt and rushed him, pulling out his secondary scythe as he ran. He feinted left and used one scythe to slash at the angel's hand while the other pushed at the spear, knocking it from the divine being's grip. As soon as both scythes were free, he speared one through the angel's wing and sent the other straight at his throat, knocking him down and pinning him to the ground.

The angel thrashed angrily and William merely shoved his scythe through his wing harder, snapping bones from the force.

"How many more of you are there in the area?" Will hissed, standing over the prone angel as he dug his scythes in harder still.

"Enough that your little devil's spawn pet could already be surrounded." The angel hissed, glaring. His pale eyes glowing white.

"What!" Will snarled and gave a final deadly shove to the scythe at the angel's neck, decapitating him then spearing him through the heart. His heart leapt into his throat as he looked down the road Timothy had gone and sprinted after him.

The distressed wine of their horse could be heard in the distance along with shouting. The carriage had tipped over, and Timothy stood surrounded by five holy beings. His yellow eyes were glowing demonically, his black nails lengthened into claws, and his teeth were bared, his fangs flashing dangerously.

Hearing the horse, Will tried to run faster. The sight of Timothy surrounded by angels made him see red. He didn't stop running and he used both of his scythes to stab at two of them. "Get the bloody hell away from him!" he snarled as he tried to scatter them.

"William!" Timothy gasped, starting to turn towards his lover only to see an angel launch at him, "Ah!" he stumbled back, thrashing his claws out at the winged attacker. He was knocked down to the ground, the angel on top of him, shoving it's holy weapon's blade deep into his shoulder, causing the young half demon to cry out.

"NO!" William snarled as he shoved off the angels coming at him and dashed towards Timothy. He grabbed the angel atop his lover by the wings and roughly yanked him off, tossing him to the side before falling on him with his scythes with the intent of slashing it to ribbons. He got a few choice attacks in before the angel's comrades started making things difficult. He felt a slash to his leg and side and he responded by lashing out with his secondary scythe, but it was getting to be too much. He dearly wanted to slaughter them all, but it was looking like the only choice they were going to have would be to run.

"Stop!" Snake cried out desperately, smelling the all too familiar scent of his lover's blood. He pushed himself up as quickly as he could and grabbed an angel, digging his long fangs deep into her shoulder, causing her to scream.

"How dare you try and taint me!" she swung her sword at him but his tail ripped out through the seat of his pants, wrapping around her arm and stopping her attack.

Will was nearly skewered by an incoming attack, but he dodged just in the nick of time and was clipped his shoulder instead. He used his scythe to vault over to Timothy and impaled the female angel his lover currently had incapacitated.

"We have to get out of here," he panted as he lashed out at the angels attacking them. He kept himself bodily between them and the young half demon. If he could at least place some distance between them, he could try to pick them off individually, but he was already getting tired. Once he saw an opening, he shoved one scythe into his lover's hands and scooped Timothy up into his arms to make a break for it.

Timothy clung to William, looking back at the remaining angels taking chase. He looked down at the scythe in his hand and with glowing eyes, he raised it, pointing it at one of the angels and pulling the trigger, watching in silence of the pole extended and pierced into the chest of his target.

William could not see what Timothy was doing as he was concentrating on running and not dropping his lover, but his wounded leg was beginning to ache horribly and he didn't know how much longer he could keep it up. He'd taken one down at least, two if the one in the churchyard counted, and he'd injured at least two others... "How many are left?" he panted.

"Two…" he aimed at yet another and extended the scythe again, "One." He corrected himself as the angel fell and didn't continue to pursue them.

One was good news. Will sprinted ahead a little further, then suddenly stopped, practically dropped Timothy back on his feet, and turned around quickly to face their final pursuer as he swung his secondary scythe about to level it at the attacker. It was a potentially stupid move as he couldn't judge just how close behind him the final angel was, but if he caught it by surprise it could be a deadly blow.

The angel jumped into the air to avoid the reaper's attack, only to run right into the path of the scythe Snake held and extended. He got the angel in the shoulder and watched as he fell back down to the ground.

Seeing the opportunity, William pounced on the fallen angel and speared him through the heart and lopped off his head for good measure. He was panting and his legs were trembling from over exertion, but he turned back to Timothy and cupped his cheek.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking him over.

Snake nodded, "Burns…but Dani is safe…" he said, looking into the reaper's eyes then down at his leg, "…are…are you?"

He followed Snake's line of sight to his leg and realized it was not as bad as it felt...though his side and shoulder were starting to throb.

"I'll be fine," he said as he pulled his young lover into his arms. "What matters is that you're safe."

The boy nodded and looked back the way they had run from, "…We…should get Dusty and go home…tend to our injuries…" he said, referring to their horse.

Will nodded and limped alongside Timothy back towards the tipped over buggy and the still panicky horse. He managed to right the buggy with a bit of effort while his lover tended to the horse. Soon enough, Will had Timothy with him in the buggy and they were on their way home again.

Once they arrived home and let Dusty out into the small corral, Snake brought out the first aid kit they had in the kitchen and sat down on the sofa in their sitting room, "…We…we can make dinner later…got to look at our wounds first…" he said when he saw that William hadn't followed him to the sofa.

The further along he got in the pregnancy, the more Timothy was becoming maternal. It was showing in small ways, but instances like this reminded William just how much they needed each other. He would have gone on limping around if he hadn't said anything, and that would not be good for either of them. Not to mention, his lover had a nasty wound of his own that needed tending to. And perhaps a small feeding was in order.

Will pulled off his ruined jacket and took a seat next to Timothy, sighing as he finally took weight off his leg. It wasn't broken, but every movement upset the wound.

The young demon gently cleaned and disinfected each of William's wounds in turn, carefully wrapping them with a bandage. When he finished with the last wound; a smaller cut located near the reaper's neck, Timothy leaned in and pressed a kiss to the bandaged injury. Then he carefully stripped off his own ruined shirt, reveling his own blistering gash in the shoulder. It had been made by the same weapons as William's had been, but it was acting differently; the holy light the blades had been made with burning Snake's flesh as if eating away the demonic taint in the fiber of his very being. The edges if his abrasion had turned black with an angry red surrounding it. A faint white glow could be seen at the center of the wound. The appearance of the wound frightened him, and the addition of fresh air only made the burning sensation intensify.

The sight of the wound on Timothy's shoulder surprised William, though it really shouldn't have. Of course he was not going to react well to holy weapons, but he hadn't expected this sort of outcome. The divine energy was obviously eating away at his lover's flesh so he had to get rid of it...but how?

"Why didn't you show this to me sooner?" he asked as he tried to clean the wound as best he could. "I understand why it is reacting this way, but I do not know how to stop it. Has your father mentioned anything to you about something like this?"

If Tristin hadn't told Timothy about how to treat wounds from a holy weapon, then they would have to go to Sebastian.

Snake shook his head, "I…I didn't know…it burns but…I thought it'd be like yours…" Snake admitted, flinching and hissing from the gentle touch of William trying to clean it.

Will tried to be as gentle as possible, but he simply couldn't be sure as to how to make the pain stop.

"You are going to have a different reaction than I would because of your demon blood. Perhaps we should go to Mr. Michaelis and ask how to treat this," William said as he lightly pressed a cold wet washcloth over the angry wound. "But before we venture out again, you should probably have a drink, though not from a wound inflicted by a holy weapon. That might hurt you more than help," Will said as he took a small razor from the first aid kit and put a small cut over his wrist. Snake would need a good amount of blood and a little nick on the finger or a bit lip would not be nearly enough. "Please don't argue, either, Timothy. It is for both you and Dani," he said as he held out his wrist.

Snake bit his lip, looking at the blood welling up on his lover's wrist. He still hated having to drink blood, but William gave him little room to argue when he offered it, and he did crave the sweet metallic liquid. Mouth watering, he leaned forward, taking William's wrist and bringing it up to his lips, "…Can we stop and pick up a pie on the way back then?" he pleaded quietly before licking up the blood and sucking the thin slit in the reaper's wrist, urging more of the crimson fluid out into his mouth.

"Take as much as you need. It may stave off that holy energy or whatever it is that's hurting you still," he said as he pressed his wrist to Timothy's mouth harder. "And, yes, we can get you a pie if you wish. Perhaps we could even steal one from the young Earl. I doubt he'd miss it," William teased.

"Only if it was one Mister Bard made…no one wants those…" Snake muttered against his wrist.

"Let's not subject you to that, then. We shall get you whatever you like on the way back. I think you more than deserve it," he said, putting his free arm over Timothy's back so as to not upset his shoulder.

Timothy smiled and snuggled against his lover as he continued to drink. Then finally, he pulled away and licked up the blood remaining on the surface of the reaper's skin and reached for a bandage, wrapping his wrist for him.

"Do you feel a little better now? How does your shoulder feel?" William asked lifting the washcloth to inspect the wound again.

"Still…burns…but slower…" Snake muttered, looking down at the wound.

Will looked at the wound and he wasn't sure if it was just wishful thinking on his part or not, but it did look slightly better. At least, it didn't look any worse. It made him wonder if it was his blood that did that... "Timothy, let me try something," he said as he took the razor to his finger and let a drop of his blood fall against the edge of the wound. If it was going to make things worse, he only wanted to see how a very small portion of it would react...

Snake gasped in pain, quivering as his hand flew up to grab his burning shoulder as the wound throbbed painfully. But under his hand he could almost feel the wound shrink slightly.

The reaper pulled back at Timothy's reaction, not wanting to hurt him any further, "Alright, I'll not do that again," he said softly. "Let's get you to Mr. Michaelis and see what he says about this."

The Phantomhive estate was not too far away in comparison as it had been in the city. Taking the horse and cart, it would only be a short 10 minute ride.

Sebastian was out front of the large mansion, his sleeves rolled up as he brushed the horse down after their trip into town when William and Snake arrived. The demon looked up at them, raising an eyebrow, "Two visits in one day, Mister Spears?"

"Unfortunately, yes, Mr. Michaelis," William said as he stopped the buggy and helped Timothy down to approach the older demon. "We had a run in with a few angels and Timothy was wounded by a holy weapon which he is not reacting well to. I've given him blood and dabbed a small bit on said wound, but that just seemed to cause more pain. I am honestly worried by it."

The butler dropped the brush in his hand and rushed over to Snake, "Let me see it."

Snake lowered his shirt off his shoulder to show off his wound.

Sebastian clicked his tongue, "Was afraid of that…" he ushered the two men to a more secluded area and set Snake down, having him remove his shirt properly, "…It can be reversed…but you'll not like any of the ways to do so, Spears. Snake may not be fond of the idea either."

"What must we do?" William asked curiously. Short of the boy needing to consume a soul to do it, Will thought he could tolerate just about anything if it meant he's be healed.

"His wound is slowly purifying him, and as a demon, it will end up killing him…and your child. It needs to be re-tainted, and there are three ways to do so. The first being consume a soul…but I suppose that is unacceptable to you, Mister Spears. So I guess the options would be either for Snake to have a blood bath, quite literally mind you. Or he needs commit a sin in it's 'purest' form."

"It is really Timothy's decision, but the other two options would be preferable to both of us, I suppose. The blood might be an issue...so I suppose that leaves us with the sin solution. How would one go about committing a sin in it's purest form?"

"You don't know?" Sebastian asked, raising an eyebrow, "The most obvious is cold-blooded murder. None of the options is pleasant by your standards, or Snake's. But you must remember he is a demon."

Snake’s eyes were wide, "D-do I have to…? Asks myself."

"For a quick heal, yes."

"There are so many other sins...does it have to be murder?" Will asked, mostly to himself. "The blood is looking more like the better option now...especially if I can lure out another one of those damn angels. Does it matter what type of blood?"

"No, it doesn’t have to be murder, but the other options are no easier. Angelic blood would work, but it’d hurt the most. Either way it’ll take a lot."

"Then what might you suggest, Mr. Michaelis? Short of consuming a soul or murdering someone? I take it any blood is going to cause pain?"

He nodded, “Trust me, I have had my fair share of such wounds. But Blood would be best for him.”

"Does he literally need to soak in blood? Or could I possibly open up a vein for him again and give him a much larger quantity?"

"Much larger is right. Directly on the wound. But if you are suggesting your own you would be quite unable to do much of anything for a while. Nearly all of your blood." Sebastian nodded.

Snake’s eyes widened and he looked at William, "No."

Well that was both a difficult decision and yet not...if they could lure one more angel out and Will could incapacitate it and drain it of blood, it would save Timothy. Not to mention it would make for one less enemy to deal with. Still it seemed rather evil to do so...but that was the entire point, wasn't it? But, if Timothy did not wish to do that, Will would gladly drain himself if it would save his lover and his child. There was no question. The only issue he saw with that was the recovery time. If he did so, that would leave Timothy to defend himself until Will was strong enough again. "Then the best solution is to go hunting for an angel," William said.

"Try the church yards. They always seem to be around Holy Ground this time of the year. Just watch out for if there is more than one." Sebastian suggested, straightening up, “But you may want to hurry. This is slowly eating away at him."

"Thank you, Mr. Michaelis. Your help has been invaluable," William said with a nod as he hurried Timothy back over to the cart and helped him back up. "Come, we need to pick a fight." As soon as his lover was situated, he drove back towards the churchyard they'd driven past only a couple of hours before. Hopefully they would find what they were looking for.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	13. Chapter 13

The area around the Church looked deserted, though evidence of their small battle was apparent. Bloodstained white feather's blew around the ground in the wind, so many that it was apparent that at least a few angels had been fatally wounded, their bodies becoming nothing but light and feathers.

A pained groan sounded closer to the churchyard where one of the original five angels lay on the ground bleeding, his wings spread wide under him at odd angles.

Will surveyed the area to make sure no more angels had shown up. The last thing they needed was Timothy getting injured again. He heard the pained groan of someone injured and investigated cautiously only to find one angel had survived, but was in bad condition.

Excellent.

He pulled a spare length of rope from beneath the buggy seat and carefully approached the angel, scythe in one hand, rope in the other. As dearly as he wanted to stab the thing over and over, he relented on the side of mercy and merely gave him a solid kick to the face to knock him out before trussing him up. He wasn't quite sure how this was going to work, but if Timothy needed blood, he would get it. Perhaps stringing the angel off a tree branch, slashing his throat, and letting Timothy sit under the stream of blood would be best.

Snake watched as his lover bound the angel, shifting uncomfortably in his spot. "A-are you sure about this, William…?" he asked in a small voice.

"Mr. Michaelis has not lied to us yet and this is the best solution from the options he gave us," he said as he dragged the angel toward a nearby tree and threw the rope over a solid looking branch as close to the trunk as possible. "These angels attacked you for no valid reason. They have wounded you and have put your life and the life of our child in danger. The least one of them can do is heal the damage done."

Despite feeling dizzy, he heaved and pulled the angel up to make him hang upside down and tied the end of the rope around the trunk. He'd upset his wounds and could feel blood trickling down his side and leg, but that was not his immediate worry. "Please sit up against the trunk, love. From what Sebastian was saying, this is going to hurt a lot, but it will save your life," William panted as he brought the end of his scythe to the angel's throat.

"But…You're bleeding again…I…I can smell it…" Timothy muttered, climbing down and walking over to his lover. He looked up at him worried, he knew that the reaper had lost blood in the fight, and on top of that, had given quite a bit to him…so it was alarming to smell the reaper's sweet blood running fresh once again. "You need rest…"

"I know," Will panted softly. "But I will not die from this. You will. Now, please, off with the shirt so we can get you healed," he said as he reached out to push Timothy's shirt aside.

"But…" Snake started as he shrugged out of his soiled shirt, "You still get weaker from it…what if something happens? I…Dani and I need you…" he blushed, glancing over at the snakes watching them from the carriage.

"I promise you that I will rest once we get home, but my main priority is you," he said as he helped Timothy to sit. "I've been in worse shape than this and I'll not be able to rest until I know your life is no longer in danger."

He grabbed the angel by the hair and pulled him towards Timothy, exposing his throat and quickly slicing with his scythe to release the blood before Timothy could protest. He quickly leaned his scythe against the tree and reached out to brace Timothy's shoulder to keep him under the blood flow. He did not wish to hurt his lover, but they had no better choice at this point.

Timothy opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, the angel's blood was flowing, the scent of it's sickeningly sweet blood catching his attention before he felt it drip onto his shoulder, burning and turning his words into a startled, pained scream as it touched his wound.

William cringed hearing the sound come from his lover. "I'm so sorry, Timothy," he said keeping his grip tight on the angel's hair to keep his neck out and the blood flow steady, and on Timothy's shoulder to keep him from moving. He hated this. He truly hated putting his beloved though this pain, but it was necessary.

The pained young man bit his lip hard and reached out to grab onto his lover's pant leg, gripping the dark fabric in a tight fist.

"What's all this then?" sounded a airy, yet angry and powerful voice before there was a flash of light and a sword made of a golden light was pointed at William's throat.

Will froze at the sound of the voice and the appearance of the sword at his throat...an angelic weapon... "What does it look like?" William said lowly and carefully.

"A supposedly neutral reaper draining the life out of one of my brethren to help a filthy no-good demon." The angel snapped, pressing the tip of his weapon further into his throat.

Snake's golden gaze snapped up to the angel and he gave a low hiss; "Get away from him…says myself."

"Your brethren attacked us for no reason," William said lowly, refusing to back down though he winced slightly from the shallow cut on his neck and was eyeing his scythe leaning against the tree. "And unless you keep making this worse, he will not die from this."

"There is always a reason for our actions, reaper. And our blood is the purist; free of all taint. And here you are stealing it to heal an evil little—" the angel looked down at Snake, his pale eyes widening, "Satan's own spawn." He hissed, kicking the reaper back away from the tree, "Even if you are being compelled by this abomination, you cannot be saved for what you have done. Aiding such an enemy of God!" The angel swung his sword at William.

"William!" Snake gasped looking around and finding William's scythe. He reached out for it, "Here!" He said, tossing it at the reaper.

The Reaper grunted as he was kicked, but grabbed for his scythe when Timothy tossed it to him. Fortunately, fighting with Grell on and off had made his reflexes incredibly sharp and he was able to parry the blade, only being knocked back slightly from the blow. He snarled and charged the angel to push him away from Timothy. "That boy's heart is purer than your own, you hypocrite, and if loving him is against your God, then I am happily damned!" He drove the divine being back, moving to stab at him with quick thrusts and slashes, putting all of his energy into protecting his mate and their child.

"You know nothing of what is pure, reaper! And if you love him then he has tainted you completely!" he snapped, dodging and blocking the attacks he could. He spread his wings and took off into the sky, sending a rain of piercing feathers down at the attacking reaper.

Seeing the oncoming feathers, Will shielded his face and vitals, several of the quills embedding themselves deeply into his skin when they didn't slash him. It hurt, but it wasn't enough to take him down. He growled and took a running start, using his scythe to vault himself up skyward towards the angel whipping out his secondary scythe as he tackled the being mid-air, dragging them to the ground and unfortunately taking the brunt of the fall as the angel landed on top of him.

He was dazed for a moment, but managed to clamp his scythe to the divine being's throat, threatening to crush and slice at the smallest hint of movement.

The snakes slithered over, biting uselessly at the Angel's legs to get him to let the reaper go, but the angel just kicked them away. "Sinful creatures" he spat, trying not to let the scythe cut him.

Snake watched in horror and his golden gaze glowed red, his demonic features all bursting forth on his body as his protective instincts kicked in. Despite the burning gash in his shoulder, and his restricted movements from his pregnancy, Snake pushed himself up and walked over towards the winged creature, his dark demonic energy pouring off him so much that it could be physically seen. His clawed hand lashed out, grabbing the angel's shoulder and digging in before he latched onto the back of his neck, burrowing his fangs deep.

Will's gaze narrowed at the angel and he reached up with one arm to hold down with a strong embrace. "Drain him if you can, Timothy, but be careful," he said, tightening his hold and squeezing more at the angel's throat with his scythe.

The angel flailed about, his great white wings spreading wide. He risked a deeper cut to his throat as he suddenly pushed himself up struggling to take flight, but Timothy's weight brought him back down easily when the boy's tail snaked around a wing and squeezed it tight.

"Get…no…stop tainting me…filth!" The angel gasped, barely able to form the words with his damaged throat.

Snake only bit down harder, his tail lengthening and growing thicker, ripping his pants fully as it combined with his legs and his entire lower half was that of a snake. He hissed as his body took on its true form and the angel struggled against him, growing weaker as the nagga-like demon drained him. Snake twitched a couple of times, the taste of the angel's blood disgustingly sweet, but he could feel it strengthening him…and he could feel the lesion on his shoulder closing it's self up.

Will was fully prepared to keep struggling with the angel until it stopped moving, but he was not prepared to see Timothy transform. His eyes widened as he watched his lover change so drastically. He _should_ have been horrified, but he simply couldn't ever think that of Timothy. It was impressive, shocking, and definitely intimidating, but Will was not disgusted or horrified.

Timothy choked down the rest of the angel's blood, feeling the being go limp under him. he pulled back and watched as the angel's body began to disperse into a pile of white feathers. His eyes faded back to yellow and widened as he realized he had killed the angel, and he stumbled back away from the soft pile of feathers, wiping the blood from his chin with the back of his hand.

Will released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when the angel finally dissipated. With a soft groan, he carefully got to his feet and went to catch Timothy as he stumbled.

"Easy," he said softly, soothingly. "Please, take it slow and easy."

"I…I k-killed him…" he wheezed, then his tail caught his eye and he gasped, flailing slightly and clinging to his lover as if trying to get away from his own body, "W-what?"

Will did his best to suppress his small sounds of pain from Timothy flailing about. "Timothy," he said firmly but soothingly. "You are perfectly fine. It is simply another transformation. Don't be afraid. It's alright." Never in his life had he ever imagined he would be speaking like this to a demon, but Will didn't really see the situation in those terms. He was with Timothy, his lover, his frightened lover who had just gone through an extremely stressful experience. He gently wrapped arms around him and held him close to help calm him. "We are fine..." he said to both Timothy and himself.

Timothy slowly relaxed in his lover's arms, "…M-my legs are gone…"

"Yes, I've noticed," Will said softly as he reached down to caress over where his lover's thigh had once been. "It's certainly interesting..."

"Your shoulder..." he said as if suddenly remembering. He looked at Timothy's wounded shoulder. "How is it feeling?"

"Hurts…" he muttered, looking down at his blood-soaked shoulder, but seeing that it had healed and was no longer slowly eating away at him.

Will looked at the shoulder, relieved that all of this effort had been worth it.

"Let's get home before anything else decides to attack us," William said with a slight wince as he plucked out a few quills from his skin.

Snake nodded, "…are you all right?" he asked gently, wondering how to get his legs back.

"I'll live," he said with a nod. "Can you move?"

"I don't know…" Snake admitted, not used to his current form. He straightened up and took a moment before figuring out how to slither over to the carriage. He frowned and grunted as he struggled to lift himself up into the cab, and relaxed on the floor, curling up and resting, "…need a bath…" he muttered, "the smell of angel's blood is making me feel sick…"

William stroked his fingers through Timothy's hair soothingly.

"Then let's get you home," he said softly. He limped around to the driver's side and climbed up to drive them home. It had been an exceptionally long evening and they hadn't even had dinner yet. Will's dizziness was growing worse, but he refused to worry his lover and hid the signs as best he could.

Once they were home, he helped Timothy down and into the house where he immediately drew him a bath. It might have been nice to join him, but Will feared the hot water would only hurt and settled for and incredibly quick and cold shower to get the dirt and grass off of him followed by cleaning and redressing his wounds while Timothy bathed. He had to take things slow, but he managed.

Timothy stayed in the tub longer than normal, watching as his body slowly changed back and wondering if he'd ever get used to being a demon, and learn to control his body. After the hot water was feeling colder and he had his legs back, he maneuvered himself out of the tub and put on the clothes a few of his snake friends had fetched for him.

He walked out into the kitchen to find William, and he walked over, slipping his arms around his lover, silently holding him and watching as the reaper continued making dinner for them. William was exhausted and achy, but both of them needed to eat and Timothy certainly needed a meal more than Will did. He heard his lover come into the kitchen, but didn't expect to suddenly be in his arms. Will turned to put an arm around Timothy as he finished up the ratatouille omelets he'd been making.

"I see you have your legs back," he said with a soft laugh. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired…" Snake muttered, nuzzling his cheek against the reaper's shoulder.

"That is understandable considering the day you've had," William said softly as he kissed the top of Timothy's head. "Dinner is about ready. After we've eaten, we can go to bed."

He moved to serve up dinner onto a couple of plates and removed a tiny pie from the oven which he set on Timothy's plate.

"I know we didn't get an opportunity to stop, but a small pie is better than none at all," he said offering the plate to his lover. "I hope you don't mind that it's blackberry, but that was the only fruit we had."

The boy looked at the pie and a smile broke out across his face. He waited for the plates to be set down on the dining table before he pulled his lover into another hug, pressing a kiss to his lips.

Will returned the kiss and smiled at his lover. "What was that for?" he asked softly.

Snake's face flushed, "…Pie…" he muttered against his lips.

"You have had a difficult evening. I think you've earned it," William said softly as he took the kiss a little deeper, twining his tongue with his mate's for a little more intimacy. He pulled back slowly to press a kiss to Timothy's forehead

Timothy smiled, and sat down, pulling William down with him to lean comfortably against him as he reached out to his plate and began to eat.

William was reluctant to sit down as he was afraid he wouldn't get up again, but with Timothy there, he could not resist. He put an arm over the other's shoulders, simply content to sit with him and watch him eat so happily. Before he knew it, Will nodded off.

Timothy finished his meal and looked up at his sleeping lover, shifting around and poking his cheek, "…William…the kitchen table is not a bed…"

The sensation of something poking him in the face made William snort and jump. The next thing he knew he was looking up at Timothy from the floor, having tumbled out of his chair as he blinked away fatigue and dizziness. He slowly and carefully used the chair to push himself to his feet.

"I think it is officially time for bed," he said groggily.

Timothy nodded and pushed himself up, letting a yawn escape behind his hand before he took hold of William's, "…I'm sorry I poked you out of your chair…"

"No, it's fine. I am simply far more tired than I realized," he said as he swayed slightly in his spot. He had lost an incredible amount of blood in the span of only a few hours and his body was telling him to sleep to recover. He couldn't fight it anymore and simply left everything where it was to be cleaned up later as he trudged to bed, pulling Timothy with him.

Snake stepped over a snake that was curled up in the middle of the floor and walked over to the wardrobe, pulling out William's pajamas and tossed it to him as he walked over and climbed into bed.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	14. Chapter 14

Since the incident with the angels, William made sure they traveled when there were other people on the road and about. It did not guarantee their safety, but it helped considerably. There were only a couple more very minor incidents that Will was able to take care of, but nothing compared to the major skirmish.

Several more weeks passed and Timothy was coming along fine, according to Tristin. It was getting harder and harder for him to get around, but he still insisted on doing everything he could on his own. William would try to take care of things for him and half the time Will would be thanked, half the time he'd get tears or get snapped at. Will took it all in stride. He understood that Timothy was emotionally unbalanced and simply did his best to cater to his lover's needs.

As it was, Timothy had a strong craving for a certain tea paired with a specific cake from a little cafe they used to live near. Will offered to go fetch both, but the young man insisted on coming along and though the reaper was highly against him traveling with how very close to the end of the pregnancy he was, Will simply couldn't say no. They drove slowly through the city towards the cafe, Will being extra cautious on the roads to avoid potholes and other hazards. But, soon enough, they arrived without incident and Timothy had his cake and tea.

Timothy happily munched on his cake, sharing a few bites with Oscar and Wilde who had gone with them. He grinned up at William and held out his fork with a small bite of cake on it, silently offering him a bite of the treat before he devoured the entire thing.

Will shook his head with a small smile, simply enjoying the sight of Timothy enjoying himself so much over such a little thing. It may have not been the best idea to bring him out, but it was certainly worth it, "Is this satisfying your sweet tooth?"

Snake pouted when the treat was rejected and he shoved it forward enough to leave a glob of icing on the reaper's nose. "Yes." He smirked.

Will looked at the icing slightly cross-eyed and wiggled his nose before reaching up to wipe it off with a finger. Then he shrugged, reached out, and dabbed it on Timothy's nose with a small grin.

Timothy's golden eyes grew incredibly wide as he looked up at William with a slight pout on his lips, the fork still in his mouth from his most recent bite of cake.

"Don't look at me like that," he said with an indulgent smile. "You're the one that started it."

The boy shook his head, not taking his gaze off his lover.

"What is it?" William couldn't figure out why Timothy was staring at him that way.

"It…It was for you…" he pouted, slipping the fork from his mouth.

"I can't very well eat it off my own nose, now can I?" he said as he moved to sit at Timothy's side, took his lover's face in his hands, and licked the icing off the end of his nose.

He blushed and set down his plate, leaning in and hiding his face in his lover's chest as his ears darkened to a pink hue.

Will laughed softly and pet Timothy's hair. "You are shyer than normal today, love. Are you alright?"

Snake nodded and peaked up at his lover, "I-!" the timid young man froze, drawing back with a gasp and clutching his stomach as a wave of pain hit him.

Will startled. "What's wrong?" he said, his heart suddenly racing as if he knew what it was already and wasn't going to like the answer.

"H-hurts!" he panted, slumping back against his lover, feeling the child inside him moving and kicking up at him painfully.

Will's eyes widened as he tried not to panic. What was he supposed to do? Tristin was supposed to help them when the time came, but he had no way of contacting him...and Timothy needed help _now_!

Will looked up when he noticed a flurry of movement outside the window. He looked up and saw Grell waving ecstatically on the other side of the glass before he came bounding into the little cafe with a grin on his face.

"What are you doing bringing your little darling out being so close to-"

"It's now!" Will said, his eyes wide with a bit of fear as he looked at Grell, gripping Timothy's hand.

"What? Now?" Grell exclaimed and knelt next to Timothy. "And what were your plans exactly?" the redhead asked with a look of disapproval on his face.

"His father was supposed to help and I have no idea where he is, nor do I have any way of reaching him."

Grell's face took on a very serious expression as he looked up at Timothy.

"Timmy, what are you feeling?" he asked directly.

"D-Dani wants _out!_ " He whimpered, trying his hardest not to scream.

Grell got to his feet and looked at Will. He'd asked before just how Timothy was expected to give birth and Will had told him that a cesarean section would be necessary, of course, but he'd oh-so-conveniently left out the fact that Lucifer was to be he one to assist in it.

"You cannot take him to a conventional doctor. Pick him up carefully, we need to find a place with tools, space, and privacy," he thought for a moment. "...and I know just the place. Timmy, I need you to breathe. Focus on breathing and if the pain gets to be too much, feel free to bite Will since he's the one that did this to you," he said with a small grin as he started heading out of the cafe.

Will gently scooped Timothy into his arms, carrying him carefully out of the cafe as he hurried down the street after Grell.

"How is this going to help us-"

"Will, I was a doctor before I became a reaper," Grell said as he shoved people out of the way to make room for them. "And I had to deliver my own children this way. It has been a while since that, but I have actually been catching up on my studies since you two seem to get yourselves hurt so often."

"I...had no idea..." Will said softly, but he was unable to focus much as he was extremely concerned for his lover. Eventually, Grell led them to the very familiar mortuary and Will instantly understood why he'd chosen here. Undertaker would have medical instruments, not to mention a sanitary space, and plenty of privacy...

"Undertaker!" Grell shouted as he pounded on the door. "Let us in, we have an emergency!"

Timothy groaned before crying out in pain, digging his black nails into Willian's arm, piercing through his suit and cutting into his flesh. His eyes flashed and shimmered red as the pain only seemed to mount.

Will looked at his lover with concern, the pain in his arm nothing compared to his worry. Grell's attention snapped to Timothy. He frowned slightly and with a mighty growl, he kicked the door in, letting themselves into the shop.

"Sir, I am commandeering your shop!" Grell yelled as he ushered Will inside and directed him to lay Timothy on a clean slab.

The silver haired reaper was at the door, leaping back as it was suddenly kicked in at him. Behind his shaggy bangs, he blinked, "Certainly, my dear~ But Might I ask why~?" he said, looking at the pained boy in William's arms, "My~ What's all this then?" he giggled, poking at William's cheek as he ushered them into his dimly lit shop.

"It's a long story, sir," William said as he carried Tim to where Grell directed.

"He's going into labor is what," Grell barked, then proceeded to list off to the mortician what he would need. "Can you assist me?"

William stood helplessly at Timothy's side, holding his hand and giving him soothing, reassuring words.

"Certainly, but I deal with the departed, not the arriving." The old reaper said, skipping off with a fit of giggles to retrieve the needed tools, "But you must tell me this long story afterwards as payment, Mister Spears~"

Timothy cried out loudly, tightening his grip on his lover's hand and biting down on his lip, drawing blood.

"Anything you wish, sir," William said distractedly as he focused on getting Timothy to breathe with him.

Grell washed his hands thoroughly and looked over the tools he had at his disposal. The mortician had brought him everything necessary, including clean towels and water... It would do, but there would be no anesthetic.

"Will, take your belt off and put it between Timmy's teeth, this is going to be quite painful," Grell warned.

Will instantly obeyed and pressed reassuring kisses to Timothy's forehead.

"I love you," he said softly over and over.

Timothy bit down on the leather belt so hard it was sure to leave permanent teeth marks. He glared darkly at his lover, though he tried to keep breathing.

Undertaker hummed a happy tune as he locked the door of his shop before he washed his own hands, rolling up his over-sized sleeves, and pinning the hair up out of his eyes so that he could assist the red reaper better.

* * *

 

Though there had been a few complications, Grell brought the baby out and handed it over to Undertaker to clean it up while he stitched Timothy up.

Will stroked and kissed Timothy's face soothingly, taking the belt away to press a kiss to his lips, but he looked up when he heard his child wail for the first time. The cry was piercing, but it instantly made his throat tight as he watched Undertaker bring the baby over already bundled in a clean blanket.

Snake panted weakly, covered in sweat, but he gave a small, happy smile when he heard the cry of his and William's child. He gazed up at his lover then looked at the bundle in the stranger's arms, ignoring the pain as he reached forward and out to his child. Wincing slightly at the prick of a needle in his stomach.

Undertaker giggled and held the child out, "I don't know how you managed all this~ But you have yourself a happy little blubberball of a boy~" He slipped the child into Snake's arms.

Snake's eyes widened as he suddenly became nervous. Paranoid that he would drop the crying newborn. He looked up with wide eyes at William.

A son. William had a son with the person he loved most in the world. He was almost overwhelmed with emotion when he saw Timothy take Daniel into his arms for the first time. But he almost laughed when he saw the pure fright in his lover's eyes as he seemed so nervous. Rather, he smiled gently and put his arms around Timothy's to help him hold the baby. "He's beautiful..." he murmured as he nuzzled Timothy's cheek, "Our Daniel..."

The baby still wailed, but Will gently put the tip of his pinky in his mouth to give him something to suckle on for the time being to calm him. He looked to both Grell and Undertaker with a look of relief and gratitude. "We cannot thank either of you enough."

Grell finished up his stitches, put a bandage over the sutures, and went to clean himself up. "You're damn right you can't. But naming me his godfather might be a good start," the redhead said with a grin.

"Heh-heh, All I want is to know how all this came to be~ I doubt there is a joke unheard by my ears as entertaining as this~" Undertaker chuckled, laying across a coffin and looking at the new family, like a child awaiting story-time.

Snake looked down at Daniel as he quieted down slowly, suckling on his father's fingers, seemingly happy.

"I hope you don't mean an actual godfather, Grell... He is part demon."

"Of course not, you silly goose! Alright then, I'll be an uncle. And I am going to spoil the hell out of him."

Will merely smiled and shook his head softly. "That is acceptable," he said as he took Undertaker's request to mind and looked down at Snake. "Timothy? Is it alright if I tell him?"

Timothy nodded, "I…don't mind." He said quietly, feeling better with his lover's arms around him and helping to secure Daniel, he lifted a arm and gently stroked the damp dark brown fuzz on the top of his head, half unbelieving that he and William actually had a child.

"Excellent~" The silver haired reaper grinned.

William nodded and knew he would not get away with simply telling Undertaker the bare bones of Timothy being half-demonic. He proceeded to spill their tale to the mortician, from the night he'd found Snake outside in the cold, to discovering his heritage, to the present. He did not go into extreme detail, but he figured it would be payment enough.

"Timothy's father was to assist us when the time came, but this was quite unexpected. So, thank you again, sir, for allowing us to use your shop."

Throughout William's tale, undertaker giggled and snorted with laughter, going as far as to rolling on the coffin he had been on until he fell off it onto the floor. "Oh~ Reaper Spears~! You were the last of your merry little group of working reapers I expected to ever loose yourself to love with a demon~ Even a cute little timid half demon like this one!" he laughed as he calmed down a bit from his fit. He pushed himself up and walked over to the couple and their child, patting the boy fondly on the head and poking his nose with his long nail, "You my dear are quite special indeed if you were to achieve hooking this particular reaper. Based on what I have heard, after all~ hehe.

Snake blinked and looked up at the amused man, "W-William is…the special one…s-says myself…" he blushed.

"I did not know he was a demon when I fell in love with him and when I tried to pull myself away from him when I found out, I was miserable. He is not any different because of his blood...and I have to say he takes after his father, who is quite misunderstood..." William said as he leaned down and kissed Timothy's forehead again and stroked his finger gently over his son's face. "I cannot imagine my life without him now..."

Snake looked up at William and gave a shy smile, "Good…I…I don't want to leave you…or Dani…" he blushed, his voice low enough for only his lover to hear.

"Tut-tut, don't you be going and getting too comfortable with our Hellish friends. Most can not be trusted after all. Their reputation isn't there for no reason~" The grinning man said, "Something I must remind Miss Sutcliff about regularly."

"Timmy is no threat," Grell scoffed. "I mean, just look at him. Considering his parentage, he could probably kill us all in a few years, but he's so damn sweet he wouldn't hurt a fly. And if you're talking about Sebby, old man, I bother him simply because it's good fun to irritate the daylights out of him~!"

"I have to agree with Grell about Timothy. He is too kind-hearted to ever be devious. His father, I am not entirely trusting of yet, but I also have little choice in the matter. I have to believe that he, too, is good," William said, gently stroking over Daniel's hair. "And if he's as affectionate as he is with his adult son, I can only imagine how he'll be with his infant grandson."

Daniel slowly hiccuped and his eyes cracked open, looking up at his parents for the first time with bright yellow eyes.

Timothy looked down at him with a gentle smile, "I…I think…Father will care for Dani very much…he's tiny and cute…" he muttered.

"No, no, I wasn't referring to your darling little lover here, Reaper Spears~ But yes I include Mister Michaelis in this. His actions are controlled by a child after all. And we know not how he would be once freed. I simply would rather not have to build you a custom coffin for permanent use, Milady."

Will put his finger to Daniel's tiny hand and smiled when his tiny fingers grasped at him.

"He's cute now, but just wait for nasty diapers and 3AM feedings," Grell chuckled. "Congratulations, you've just gained sleep deprivation!"

Snake frowned, "…Will already has it…Work…" he muttered, "And I…I don't sleep as much as I used too…"

"We will be getting much less sleep then even that for a short while, at least," Will said with a nod. "But we will manage."

Timothy nodded and looked at the baby boy as he gave off a soft coo, bringing William's finger to his mouth.

* * *

 

They sat and admired the baby for a while longer before William asked Timothy if he felt strong enough to go back home. He went and fetched the cart and horse while Grell filled Timmy in on how to care for himself for the next few days until he was fully healed and recovered, as well as other things to expect with a newborn. Will returned quickly enough and he, Timothy, and Daniel were on their way home. Grell promised to stop by everyday to check up on the baby.

Will was relieved to be home and quite eagerly took Daniel into his arms while Timothy took a moment to rest, shuffling to the couch, too tired from labor to go much farther, and curled up on it, tugging a blanket over his frame.

While the couple had been out, word had reached below of a certain child finally being born and, out of pure excitement and determination to be there this time, Tristin made his way back up to the surface and to the couple's home, waiting patiently for their return.

As the hours passed, the devil morphed down into a more comfortable serpent form, wrapped comfortably a couple times around the couch so his head was resting at the top. He sighed and settled in, just about to take a nap when he heard the carriage pull up outside and the lovers with their new child come in, all attention on the child and the exhausted mother. He lifted his head and watched Timothy curl up on the couch beneath him, smiling as he lowered himself down slightly to rub his large, reptilian head against his son's before slowly uncurling himself and changing back into his humanoid form, absolutely beaming. "I'm sorry for my absence…I had dealings down in the Pit to tend to…" He spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb the calmed newborn.

Will watched the exchange between father and son as he cradled his own child carefully in his arms.

"We miraculously managed thanks to my partner, though, oddly enough Daniel was born in a mortuary. Timothy did wonderfully, though," William said softly as he approached them. "Would you like to hold your grandson, sir?"

His smile widened into an excited grin, his arms already stretched out by the time Will reached him to carefully hand him his grandchild. He looked down at Daniel proudly, cradling him gently in his arms as he lightly brushed his knuckle along his soft cheek. "Very symbolic…life certainly is born surrounded by death…" he murmured, looking the infant over to take in his physical genetics. "…He is very beautiful…" He smiled, looking up at Will again then over to Timothy who had fallen asleep on the couch. "I understand both of you will be overwhelmed with Daniel, but I will be around to help with what I can." He turned his attention back to the Reaper. "I'm nearly finished with my own work, and when I am, I can be your personal babysitter." He gave a small chuckle, looking back to Daniel when the little one shifted ever so slightly in his arms.

"Thank you. Timothy will appreciate the support, I'm sure. It has been a very long time since I have cared for a child, but I at least know what to expect in general. Though, with Daniel's interesting mix of blood, there are things that are sure to come up that I would never expect. Like, will he be in need of special sustenance, like Timothy is with his need for blood? How will he age and grow? Those are the things that concern me."

William wasn't really asking Tristin, he was more musing out loud, but if the man had answers, Will was more than happy to listen.

"Unfortunately, we can't know until the little one begins to age. We'll see as we go along, just as you did when my genetics had shown through Timothy..." Tristin shrugged lightly. "Until then, treat him as you would a normal infant…kindness, care, love…a bit of warm milk and a lot of naps." He smiled, shifting Daniel in his arms to carefully hug him, pressing a light kiss into his soft, dark hair.

It was weird to think the man holding his child at the moment was popularly considered the source of all evil, especially when he held he baby so tenderly with obvious unabashed affection. Still, how could he not trust Tristin when he looked like that?

"Would you mind holding him for a bit longer? I'm going to put Timothy in bed," he said as he moved to very carefully scoop his lover up into his arms and carry him into the bedroom. He very gently lay him on the bed and tucked him under the sheets, stroking his face and hair affectionately.

"Certainly..." he whispered, smiling down at the relaxed infant in his arms. "You are certainly one of the cutest things I have had the privilege to embrace…" He stroked his head lightly, running his fingers through the fluff of hair tenderly. "Little Daniel…"

The golden-eyed baby blinked up at the demon and cooed happily, wiggling his arm out of the blanket swaddling him and reaching a tiny hand up to the demon, a small patch of shiny scales on his thumb catching the light.

If possible, the old demon's smile cracked into an even happier grin, shifting the boy so he could bring his hand up for the infant to play with his fingers, slipping a finger into the tiny hand while tracing the soft scales with his own thumb. "So very precious..."

Daniel looked at the finger he now grasped, his chubby face wrinkling in confusion as to where the thing had come from and why it was suddenly in his hand. "Aahaha!" he giggled, his arm flailing before he popped his grandfather's finger into his mouth, gumming on it.

Tristin chuckled, wriggling his finger slightly as the infant suckled it, using his pinky nail to lightly tickle under his chin.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	15. Chapter 15

Snake sat in the kitchen, Daniel wrapped up in his arms suckling on a bottle. He was still nervous about holding his son, afraid to drop him or hurt him in some way. But William had to work, and he couldn't just leave the tiny boy in his bassinette all day.

But, despite his nerves; Daniel seemed to prefer staying in Timothy's arms, crying when the young half-demon set him down. Luckily, his serpent friends would help, curling around the child so he wouldn't be alone when Snake needed both hands. It calmed the infant enough to silent tears,

Daniel hiccupped and let the bottle's nipple slide from his lip. Snake set the nearly empty bottle aside and carefully slid the child up against his shoulder to burp him, taking the opportunity to stand up and stretch his legs as he patted the boy's back.

* * *

 

Will had never felt so restless at work before. Every work day was torturous because he dearly wanted to be home with his lover and new child. He'd managed to wrangle a few days off after Daniel's birth, but he'd needed to return to work eventually...but Timothy also needed his own time to bond with the baby, and he'd been doing a wonderful job. He was still slightly jittery, but not so much he couldn't take care of Dani. He was a natural parent whether he realized it or not, and Will wasn't anxious to be home because he worried for Timothy...he just wanted to be there with them all the time.

That day was no different as he anxiously waited for the clock to wind down and just as he was getting ready to leave, Grell appeared and demanded to come with to see his nephew. Will agreed, of course, if only because any time Grell wanted to see Daniel, he made sure to scare off anyone who tried to stop him or Will from leaving. It was rather convenient and it ensured that Will could get home faster.

As they arrived at the house, as usual Grell strolled right in.

"Timmy~!" the redhead chirped happily. "Where is my darling nephew?"

Timothy perked up when he heard the door. He shifted Daniel further up his shoulder and walked out into the sitting room, smiling up at William as he carried the child over to the redhead. He knew the overbearing reaper wouldn't stand to be kept waiting. He never did. So he carefully slipped his son into the redhead's arms and placed the burp cloth over his shoulder in case Daniel made a mess while Grell had him. He then greeted his lover, kissing his cheek, "Welcome home, William…"

Daniel tilted his head, looking up at Grell, his tiny fingers curling around a lock of long red hair with a surprisingly strong grip.

William gladly pulled Timothy closer and turned his face to catch his lips in a gentle kiss. "I'm glad to be home," the reaper said softly. "How was your day?"

Meanwhile, Grell was giggling at the baby, "Oh, you're a hair puller like your daddy, aren't you?" he cooed and tapped Daniel's nose very softly.

"Long. Dani didn't want to nap for hours. He only took one twenty minute nap today and he woke up about a half hour ago." Snake said, snuggling into his lover's arms.

The baby looked up at Grell, tugging his hair and giggling, reaching up with his other hand to try to catch the chain of beads hanging off the reaper's glasses.

"Would you like to take a nap then? I can take care of the baby if you'd like to rest," William said softly.

"Or both of you can take some time to yourselves and I'll watch after the little dear," Grell said as he distracted Daniel with his hair again to keep him from pinching his little fingers in the glasses chain.

Snake shook his head, "I napped when he did…" he looked over at the red reaper holding the small child, watching as the baby tried to eat the red lock of hair in his hand, only to find it unpleasant. He didn't know if he was ready to leave the child yet…to be separated from him.

"Then take the opportunity to relax and I'll get started on dinner," William sad as he kissed Snake's cheek and headed for the kitchen.

"Oh, don't look that way, darling," Grell said, catching Timothy's eye. "I'm not going anywhere with him. But you'll have to get used to the idea of separating for him for small periods of time eventually. It's hard, I know, but if you and Will don't have bonding time of your own, you'll forget about one another." The redhead gently bounced the baby to make him giggle, and watched until Will left the room before he approached Timothy with a sly grin and a quiet voice, "Tell me, darling, how long has it been since you and Will have...you know?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

When the redhead approached, Timothy looked down, drying the drool on Daniel's chin. But he glanced up at the reaper at the question, tilting his head, "Have we 'I know'…what? Asks myself."

Grell frowned slightly. He couldn't still be that naive and innocent...could he? "When was the last time you made love?" he asked plainly.

"Ah!" The boy's face grew hot, "W-we…" he paused, looking down at Daniel who was looking up at them curiously. Timothy gently covered the baby's ears before finishing in a low whisper, "B-before…I became with child…says myself"

The redhead was about to tell Timothy not to mind the baby since he couldn't understand anything yet, but his eyes widened at his answer. "W-what?! That long?!" he said in a more surprised tone than he intended. "Oh that poor man! Sweet Mother Rhea, you and Will need to shag and shag hard! No wonder he's been so twitchy lately!"

"W-we didn't want to risk hurting Dani…says myself." He said, his face growing a brighter shade of the reaper's favorite color. And it wasn't like he didn't want to…quite the opposite, he found the activity incredibly enjoyable…and since his demon side had awakened, his lustful urges towards his lover were more intense and constant. There had been times when simply glancing at the man he would feel a strong urge to drag the man to the bedroom. But he had fought the urge to do so.

"I can understand not being in the mood as much when your belly was swollen with Dani, but I bet you were dying to jump his bones anyway, weren't you? My wife wouldn't lay off when she was pregnant...the little minx. I say if you're feeling up for it, then plan to go to him. I'm sure he's holding himself back. So let him know how much you want him...surprise him with something special~! Go on a date, spend some time with him, wow him with a new outfit and seduce him!"

Snake looked at Grell, biting his lip, "How…do I do that? I…" he bashfully looked down, "I know he likes it when I dance…but…" he trailed off, "And we have Dani…can't leave him alone…says myself."

"Don't worry about the baby. I already offered to watch him for you. But what do you mean he likes it when you dance? What kind of dance?"

"I…I belly dance…Says myself." he blushed. "I…used to dance at the circus…where I met William…"

"Oh~?" Grell grinned slyly. "I may have something perfect for you to wear, then, darling...How about tomorrow night I come to get Dani, or have grandpa come get him. Either way, I'll bring you something...fun...to wear, and you seduce the pants off Will by giving him a little show~!"

Timothy gave a nervous nod, "O-okay…says myself."

"Oh good," Grell purred. "You just let me know when you want me to come by tomorrow, alright?"

William poked his head into the sitting room, "Grell, I assume you're staying for dinner, correct?" he paused when he saw Timothy blushing and raised an eyebrow. "What are you two talking about?"

"N-nothing…" Snake muttered, looking down at the drowsy baby falling asleep in the redhead's arms.

Will's eyebrow stayed quirked as he looked between the two.

"Alright then. Dinner will be ready soon," he said before ducking back into the kitchen.

"And I think Dani might be ready for another nap. I'll go lay him down, you go tell Will to keep tomorrow night open," he said softly before turning to head towards the nursery.

Timothy nodded and timidly walked into the kitchen, "…William…you…you don't have to have overtime tomorrow…right?"

"I won't know that until tomorrow really. Why?" he asked as he started plating their meal.

Timothy shook his head and walked over to him, leaning against him, "Just…curious…"

Will put his arm around his lover.

"I can try to be home earlier if you want me to be," he said as he leaned in and kissed him softly.

He nodded, "If you can…" he murmured, nuzzling him, a small smile on his lips.

"I will do my best," William said with a nod.

* * *

 

The next day, Snake put Daniel down for his nap, smiling as Emily curled up around the child protectively. He quietly left the room and went to the window, looking out. Grell was due to show up at any moment, if he was able to get away from work.

Grell rushed out of work ahead of Will and raced to beat him home. He managed to talk Eric into taking over the rest of their shifts in exchange for a whole weekend off with Alan. Grell happily conceded that. It wasn't like he had anyone special in his life to worry about and he found it rather fulfilling taking care of the Spears clan. He rushed to the house, parcels in hand for young Timothy, and quite looking forward to a night with his infant nephew. Of course, he simply let himself into the house and was quite happy to see Timothy right away.

"Alright, darling, Will is going to be heading home in about an hour. I've brought you a pretty little outfit that's sure to drive Will crazy and I found a record of some scandalous belly dancing music. I'll take Dani home with me for a few hours while you feed and seduce your silly husband, alright?"

Snake blushed brightly, "W-William's not my hu-husband…says myself." He said, walking over to help the redhead with his packages and carrying them over to the table, "Dani is sleeping so please stay quiet…says myself."

"Oh, don't be so cautious about the baby. He's got to get used to talking and other noises. If you don't let him adjust to it, then you are never going to live a normal life or sleep yourself," Grell said with a raised eyebrow. He walked over and opened up a bag to pull out a gauzy red pair of pants and a small vest embroidered with shiny beads.

"There you are, darling! It's perfect, don't you think? Of course, the only color I have is red, but it will bring out your eyes, I think," he said with a grin as he pulled out a few jingly bracelets and anklets.

Snake took the articles of clothing and nodded. He had never warn such a bright color before. Even at the circus. He had always worn blacks and whites, sometimes tans. So he really didn't know how he would look in red. "If you say so…says myself."

"Go on and change, then show me how you plan on seducing him," Grell said as he waved him off.

He nodded and walked into the bedroom and stripped down out of his normal clothes, folding them and putting them away before slipping into the red clothing. He then walked to the door and opened it, stepping out and approaching the redhead, "I…don't know how to…to seduce…says myself."

Grell grinned in appreciation at the sight. Timothy looked more exotic than usual with the tiny vest that barely covered his pectorals and the blousy sheer pants. He jingled when he walked, which immediately drew the eye.

"Well, what are you planning to do when he gets home?"

He shook his head, "I don't know…The other times William and I…it just happened…I never started it before…says myself…" he looked up at the redhead, it was pretty safe to assume the feminine man had such experience, "C-can you teach me?"

"Everyone likes to feel wanted, darling, that's really all you have to show him. I'd say before he gets home, turn down the lights, turn on the music, and wait for him to come through the door. Greet him with sincere desire and just let the rest happen," Grell said with a shrug.

"That…sounds easy…but not at the same time…I…I get nervous…because I love him…says myself."

"It doesn't have to be perfect, darling. Just go up to him and kiss the living daylights out of him! That's a good way to start."

He nodded, "I…I can do that…says myself." He said, biting his lip.

"Good, darling," Grell said as he patted Timmy's hair. "Let me get the baby and you finish making yourself pretty."

Timothy nodded, "Nursery…Emily is with him so be careful not to startle her…she might bite you…says myself."

Grell kept that in mind as he made his way to the nursery, put together a bag of baby essentials, made sure to warn Emily before gathering up the baby (who was still out cold even after being moved), and headed out to the sitting room.

"Well, darling, I will be back by, let's say midnight, so you don't miss your precious boy too much. Make sure to make all that time count," he said as he approached Snake with Daniel. "He needs a kiss goodbye from mummy."

Snake pressed a kiss gingerly to his son's temple, gently stroking his cheek. It was much harder to let the boy go than he had thought. But he finally was able to pull himself back and he nodded, "Take good care of him for me…Grell." He said sincerely, calling the reaper by his name for the first time.

"Of course I will, Timmy. I treat him like one of my own," he said as he leaned in and kissed the young man's cheek. "Now, we're off! Have fun~!"

With that, Grell left with the baby bundled up in his arms and headed out the door to let Timothy finish getting ready for Will to come home.

Timothy watched Grell and Daniel leave through the window before turning and cleaning up the house slightly. He then returned to the bedroom and dug through his footlocker of circus things, finding a few pieces of jewelry he had warn some of the time, completing his exotic look. Even weaving beads into his hair. He then lit a few candles and dimmed the lights before waiting for his lover to return home, his face flushing from simply the thought of what he was about to do.

* * *

 

 

Thanks to Grell, William had been able to get off work on time, but before Grell left ahead of him, the redhead informed him he needed to pick up something. Will had no idea what Grell had been talking about, but the flamboyant reaper shoved a piece of paper into hand and told him to go to that address. With a sigh, Will did and found it was an Indian restaurant and that apparently, Grell had placed an order for him and Timothy and he was to pick it up. He picked up the food with a raised eyebrow and headed home, wondering what all this unusual behavior was for...and he was even more suspicious when he approached the house and saw the lights were low.

Will carefully opened the door, bag of dinner in hand, and was quite surprised to hear low rhythmic music playing and to see candles everywhere. "Timothy?" he asked cautiously.

Snake took a deep breath, forcing down the fluttering in his stomach like he always did before he danced. Then he slipped gracefully through the door into the front hall, cheeks bright as he moved forward; hips swaying seductively to the music until he reached his lover, sliding his arms up about his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss.

When Snake appeared, Will's jaw almost dropped. He'd never seen such an outfit in his wardrobe and it was extremely flattering...though the pants were so sheer, they practically hid nothing as all the curves of his legs were silhouetted in the candlelight. He sparkled with bits of jewelry and chimed with each step...and the way he moved...Will couldn't deny that had been hungry for his lover for months on end, but since Timothy had shown no such inclinations, Will did not want to make him uncomfortable. And since Daniel had been born, both of them had been so tired that making love was not exactly the highest priority on the list.

But, there was no mistaking that Timothy wanted him and when their lips met, Will groaned long and low as he pulled his lover tight against himself, returning the kiss with just as much enthusiasm.

Timothy allowed himself to hum into the kiss, his demonic instincts flowing freely as he, himself, took the kiss deeper. His lips moving against Will's hungrily and when he did pull back, his eyes shimmered their demonic fuchsia glow.

Will blinked hazily as he looked down at his young lover in his arms, seeing his eyes glowing with lust.

"Wh-what is this all about?" Will asked breathlessly with a smile.

"It…it's been so long…and…" he blushed harder, "I…I want you again, William." He said the last part with confidence.

He was speechless. Just speechless. His sweet timid Timothy was being so forward and he felt himself instantly harden knowing how his lover desired him. He growled softly and pulled him into another tight embrace and kissed him passionately again. He had really, _really_ missed having the young man in his arms this way and it felt too damn good to have him again.

Snake smiled into the kiss and slid a hand down his lover's shoulder, grasping his tie and pausing to gather some more courage before yanking it off the man completely, letting it flutter to the floor.

He groaned against Snake's lips, quite enamored and entranced by his lover's assertiveness. He never knew he was even capable of being aggressive this way...

Snake moaned and nipped his lover's lip, "This…is okay…right?" he asked, not bothering to pull away so that his lips brushed over the reaper's.

"Rhea, yes..." Will moaned, his eyes fluttering closed.

The young demon smiled again, feeling more confident. He moved to pull away and took the man's hand to lead him to the master bedroom, but paused, a better idea hitting him. He reconnected their kiss and grabbed the lapel of the reaper's suit, pulling him backwards down the Hall. Will was all to happy to comply, putting the bag of food down on an end table as they passed.

Snake lead his lover into their candle-lit room and over to the bed, sliding up onto it gracefully, kneeling on the surface as he used his lips to guide the man up after him.

Timothy must have known how alluring he was, how sexy it was to lead Will around with a never-ending kiss...He was thoroughly under the other's spell and would do nothing to break it. He followed oh-so-obediently and knelt before his lover on the bed, and once Snake had the reaper in the center of the bed, he crawled in closer, pushing him back to sit on his heels as he straddled his lap before finally letting the kiss end, his cheeks burning.

"Timothy," Will whispered as he gripped his lover's hips. "I cannot even explain what you are doing to me right now," he half whispered, half growled as he leaned in and nipped his lower lip.

"I…I don't even…know what I'm doing to us…" he whispered shyly against his lips, "B-but I'm not…going to let my nerves stop me…I love you…"

"And I love you," Will said between kisses. "More than words could ever convey."

He ran his hands over his lover's hips, drawing him tighter against his body, subtly and gently rolling his hips to grind his throbbing hardness against his beloved.

"Oh, what you do to me..." he half growled and half sighed.

"W-what I do to you? Y-you're the one who makes me want to do things I never even thought of before!" Snake blushed with a moan before pulling the reaper down with him as he fell back against the comforter. His lips seeking out soft flesh.

"I am yours to do whatever you wish," William said breathlessly as he found it difficult to keep his lips away from Timothy's.

Timothy kissed him hungrily, letting his hands roam over the reaper's body and working their way under his layers of clothes. His own form shifting up to grind against William. A fang caught Will's lip, slicing it open and adding the sweet taste of blood to the heated kiss, which only made the half-demon moan with increased lust.

Will assisted by shrugging out of his own jacket, vet, and shirt, eager to press his skin against his lover's. He moaned softly when he tasted his own blood and kissed Timothy deeper to share his lust.

Snake moaned again, his fingers finding the reaper's soft skin, tracing over his curves and muscles, applying more pressure than he usually did. His fingers trailed down Will's back and followed his ribcage around to the front.

Will had taken to nibbling along his lover's neck when he felt his wandering hands traces over his sides and up along his ribs. His breath hitched and he shuddered in response, pressing himself against Snake's hands.

Snake paused, looking up at the reaper, pressing his hands firmly against the man's ribs, causing his breath to hitch again, but obviously a pleasurable reaction. He slid his thinly-clad legs around Will's waist and he rubbed the sensitive spot under the rib cage.

"Nngh! Timothy..." Will moaned and shivered. His lover was making him so needy and had he not been so addled by lust he would be slightly horrified by his neediness. He rolled his hips to grind against the other softly, his breath coming in shorter gasps.

The boy gasped, moving to cling to the older male. Suddenly not able to wait longer, his fingers moved down to the man's pants, tugging the belt loose.

Will looked down as Timothy tugged on his pants, his eyes hazed with lust as he watched his lover be so assertive. His own hands desperately groped and kneaded Snake's flesh, hands diving down the gauzy pants and pulling them down his thighs to expose him. His fingers had minds of their own as they caressed, gripped and groped randomly before finally circling around the young man's shaft which he stroked with a hungry moan.

Snake let out a moan of his own, his hand diving down William's pants to stroke him. He bit his lip and then, remembering he wasn't going to let himself be shy, he shimmied down under his lover, pulling his pants down. He wet his lips before sliding them around the head of William's member.

Will froze and gasped at the feel of Timothy's mouth upon him. He was shivering in earnest, unsure as to just how long he would last considering it had been such a long time...

"T-Tim...Haaahhhh," William hissed and groaned, digging his fingers into the comforter as he fought the urge to buck his hips.

Timothy blushed deeply and took more of his lover into his mouth. He had never done such a thing before, so he was a little hesitant on what all he could do to pleasure his love more in such a way. So he pumped his head simply, running his lips along the length slowly.

"Yes..."William panted, tensing up hard as he fought down the urge to spill already. "T-Timothy...love...I-" he groaned and bit his lip hard, trying to warn his young lover.

He paused, looking up at William before letting the hard length slip from his lips, catching his teeth lightly in the process, "William…?"

He twitched and groaned from the loss of stimulation, but it was probably for the best. He quickly reached between them and gripped himself hard at the base of his shaft to prevent himself from climaxing just yet.

"I was just giving you warning," William panted and quivered. "I did not want to just..." he trailed off, trying to catch his breath and calm down.

"Oh…sorry…" he blushed, wiggling his way back up.

"There's nothing to apologize for...it was just too good," Will said breathlessly.

Snake bit his lip then sat up and pulled his lover into a kiss, "I…I want you to…to take me again…" he admitted in a whisper.

Will leaned into the kiss, his mind still hazy with lust, but his lover's words sent a thrill straight to his groin. He growled softly in response and wrapped his arms about Snake to keep him pulled close, his hands sliding over his body to caress and trace fingers down to his cleft. He almost couldn't contain himself and eagerly rubbed at his lover's entrance before sliding a finger in slowly, letting him adjust to the intrusion after so long.

Snake gasped, letting out a moan. It didn't take long for him to adjust and he pressed himself down onto the long digits invading him. His own fingers curling into dark hair, and his other hand trailing down Will's back.

William had forgotten how hungry his beloved could be and was soon thrusting three fingers into his tight heat, preparing him for better things to come, though this was incredibly pleasurable for William all on it's own. He wanted Timothy badly and once he felt he'd been sufficiently prepared, he replaced those fingers with his twitching, throbbing length. He slid in almost painfully slow so as to not hurt his lover and to not over stimulate himself. Once he was fully sheathed, he took a deep breath and simply reveled in the feel of being within his beloved Snake again. He'd missed this terribly.

The feel of having the reaper deep inside him again sent a thrill through the normally timid boy and he clung to him, getting ready for the movements soon to come and rack his body with sinful pleasure. With a long moan that sounded a lot like William's name, Snake rolled his hips to signal he was adjusted. The rocking of his hips drew a long moan from Will and who shuddered hard, his fingers digging into his lover's hips to hold himself steady. William leaned in before he lost total control and gave Snake a gentle kiss, whispering his love for him over and over before he finally pulled back to slam into his beloved, a desperate groan issuing from his throat. He did it again, gaining control and speed, and drowning in the pleasure as his heart hammered in his chest and his hips snapped to drive himself hard and deep repeatedly.

Timothy gasped out loudly, his shimmering eyes glowing more as his lover slammed into him roughly. Wanting more, his legs parted, giving the reaper full access to slam in to the hilt. Through his moans and whimpers, he was desperate to touch William, his hands sliding along his arms, and his lips finding the flesh stretched over his collarbone to nip and suck on, though his cries of pleasure interrupted the action often.

"T-Timothy..." Will groaned as he bit his lip, feeling himself drawing painfully close again. "Hnnngh!" he grunted with each thrust, willing his hips to keep a semblance of a rhythm, but his lover simply felt too good and before he could stop it, his back arched and he screamed wordlessly, his vision going black as he shuddered and spilled his seed deep inside Snake. Once he could see again, he had the presence of mind to keep thrusting into his beloved, but his breathing was ragged and labored.

Snake whimpered as he shortly followed his lover's climax. He could feel it building in his gut, and he reached down, stroking himself until he spilled over into his hand with an airy cry, his voice breaking halfway through William's name.

Watching Timothy pleasure himself made Will _wish_ he could climax again. He was so erotic and expressive...but once he, too, reached his peak, Will drew him into his arms to nuzzle his soft neck." I love you..." he sighed, a small shiver going up his spine in remembrance.

Blushing, the boy relaxed on the bed, hugging his lover to him and half-hiding his face against the man's shoulder, "I…love you too…William…" he panted, still basking in the pleasure that they had shared.

"I am sorry I left you so hungry," Will panted.

Snake timidly shook his head, his cheek moist with sweat rubbing against William's shoulder, "W-we had Dani to take care of…" he panted, "No…time for this…"

Will's eyes widened at that, "Where is the baby?" he asked, the realization just now hitting him.

Snake looked up at him, feeling amused at the look on his lover's face, "Red has him…he said he'll bring him back at midnight…"

Relief was plain on his face when his lover said where their child was. "I see...so, you planned this?" Will asked, a smile dawning on his lips. "How long have you been holding back?"

"A-a while…" he admitted, blushing.

"As have I, Timothy," he said as he stroked his lover's cheek. "But, you are right, we've had Daniel to think of...perhaps we should consider making sure we spend some time together, just you and I, so that neither of us is left wanting again."

He nodded, his cheeks growing darker as he replied, "Maybe…once a week? If…if Red can watch Dani?"

"If not Grell, then perhaps your father. I think it would be an excellent idea," he said as he ran hands over his lover's body. "Even if it isn't something this planned every time," he said with a small laugh. "Where in the world did you get this outfit?"

"Borrowed it…" he mumbled, knowing that the color itself would give away the answer as to whom the vest and pants belonged to.

"Perhaps we should keep it," he chuckled lightly.

Again, Snake's blush darkened, "You…you like this sort of outfit on me?" he asked. Maybe he should ask Grell to take him shopping for such outfits…so he could surprise his lover again.

"It is very flattering," William said with a soft nod. "But in my opinion, there is very little you could wear that would not be attractive on you."

"S-still…I'll…I'll dress up for you if you'd like…and I can dance for you again sometime…"

"Dress up only if you wish to as I will be taking it off you in the end," Will said with a small grin. "But will you dance for me tonight? I don't know if that was your intent before I lost my mind."

I…I can still dance for you…if you want…" he nodded, "…But…after…I can get my strength back…"

"I'd like that very much," Will said with a smile and nodded. "We have dinner to eat still, as well...though it might be a bit cold now."

Snake let off a soft giggle, "I don't think it'll matter much if it's cold…"

"You say that now when only a month ago if anything was the wrong temperature, you did not want to eat it," he laughed softly.

"That was Dani talking." Snake pouted.

"And now it's all you," he said as he kissed Timothy's forehead. "As much as I love our son, I have missed you."

Snake smiled and tilted his head up to catch his lover's lips. "So…what…did you bring home for dinner?" he asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. I stopped by and Indian restaurant at Grell's insistence and he had placed the order beforehand. I have not had a chance to see what it is, but I can assume it is curry."

Timothy nodded and wiggled himself up into a sitting position, "Should…we eat before I dance for you?"

"I had the presence of mind to set it down before I followed you in here," Will smiled as he sat up to get out of bed himself.

Snake got up and followed William, walking to the kitchen to grab plates and silverware, setting them on the table and sitting down, curling his legs up under him.

Will went and fetched the bag of food, bringing it to the table to dish it out. It was, in fact, curry, along with rice and bread to eat it with.

"I suppose this is appropriate fare," Will said with a smile, still hearing the music going.

His young lover blushed, looking down at his rather reveling outfit, nodding in agreement. "Kind of…exotic…"

"Yes, but you are quite exotic yourself," he said as he moved over to Timothy, shooed him out of the chair, and made him perch in his lap. Once he had Snake situated, he plucked up a chunk of meat and held it to his lover's lips.

"I…I am?" Snake asked, blushing lightly as he parted his lips to accept the morsel.

"Mnn, yes," Will said as he leaned in to lick a bit of sauce from Timothy's cheek. "You are beautiful beyond reason."

His blush darkened and he leaned back against William more, turning his head to kiss him before offering him a bite to eat as well, "I'm…glad you at least think so…" he whispered.

"I'm sure many others do, as well, but they cannot admit it," he said as he took the offered morsel.

He shook his head and licked the sauce from his fingers, "I only want you to think so…you're special…William."

"I don't mind if others find you beautiful because you are, so long as I am the only one to have you. I never thought I could be possessive."

"…Me either…" Snake muttered, hugging him close, "I…I used to think Red wanted to take you from me…and…and I h-ha—I disliked him for it…"

"Perhaps long ago he wanted something with me, but for decades now he has simply been a friend. A very flamboyant and extremely invasive friend, so I can understand how you might feel that way. But, there is no one else for me but you," he said, kissing the young man's temple.

"Goethe tried telling me the same…but I still…wanted him to stop touching you…" his blush darkened, "You are mine…"

"Yes...yes I am," Will said with a soft smile.

Snake returned the smile, "And I'll always be yours."

"I've worked to hard to keep you. I would not make it easy for you to be taken away from me by anyone for any reason, really. You have become part of who I am, Timothy," he said, nuzzling his lover's cheek.

He smiled and leaned in to press his body to the others, stiffening and jumping slightly at a loud knock on the front door. "It…it's not midnight yet…is it?" he squeaked.

"No," Will said with a shake of his head as he carefully moved Timothy out of his lap to stand. "It's hardly past eight."

He went to the door and cautiously answered it.

Snake followed his lover and peaked out the door to the hall, watching his lover answer the door.

Ronald stood on the front porch supporting a wide grin, "Hey, Senpai. Fancy new place you got here."

Of course he hadn't been expecting anyone, but least of all Ronald. "Knox? What are you doing here at this hour? Is something wrong?" he asked with a bit of concern in his voice.

"I was told to deliver this to you. Apparently there had been some troubles on the east side of London with both Demons and Angels." The young blond held out a file, "They said you shouldn't wait for morning. Oh, You still have that kid with you?" Ronald waved at Snake who withdrew back into the kitchen, "What was he wearing? Oh…and I ran into Grell-senpai. He had a baby…said it was your kid…what's up with that?"

Will took the file with a nod and stepped aside to let Ron in and not seem rude.

"Yes, Timothy and I are lovers," he said plainly. There was no point in hiding the truth. "And Grell is looking after our son since we have not had any time alone together since his birth...but it seems that our evening is going to be cut short," he sighed as he looked at the file.

"…Son? Really? How is that even possible? Senpai…He's human…and a guy. There's no way you two can have a son." He handed over the file.

Timothy peeked around the corner again, "I…I'm not human…s-says myself."

"You are human," Will corrected, giving his lover a raised eyebrow. And he wasn't lying as it was half true. "It is an interesting set of circumstances, Ronald, which I do not wish to go into at the moment," Will said crisply. He knew it was still not safe to reveal Timothy's heritage to anyone. He wasn't sure if he could trust Ronald with such sensitive information. They'd been left alone this long because everyone thought the boy was human, and if that would keep him safe, then that was all anyone needed to know.

Ronald raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting between the shy young man and his boss, "…adoption?" he tried, it was the easiest explanation for the child, though, the kid did look like he was their son, now that he thought of it… strange skin, and dark hair… But he decided not to press the matter, not wanting William to get annoyed and assign him overtime when he could just go to a pub. "Anyway, if you don't mind, I have plans with Eric."

"Yes, of course. Thank you for bringing this to me," Will said with a nod. They said their farewells and Will closed the door behind the reaper with a sigh. "It seems my work never ceases," he said softly as he thumbed through the file. "I'm sorry, Timothy. I need to go look into this personally."

Snake nodded and disappeared, stepping out a moment later with a plate of food, "Don't forget dinner if you have to work." He said with a small supportive smile.

Will stepped forward and accepted the plate, but then pulled Timothy into a strong one armed embrace.

"You are entirely too good to me," he sighed.

"You take care of Dani and I…and all my friends and Mary…someone has to take care of you too, William." He pressed a kiss to William's cheek.

"We can at least finish our dinner, and then I will be on my way. But, since our evening will end so early, why don't I take you to Grell's so that you can be with Daniel?"

Snake nodded, "I…I would like to change first…" he blushed.

"Of course," Will chuckled. "I would not want anyone snatching you away for seeing you in that."

"I'd bite if they tried." Timothy stated, hugging his lover before leading him back into the kitchen to finish dinner.

"As you well should," Will smiled and followed Timothy into the kitchen. Once they were done, he washed the dishes while his lover got dressed and they were soon enough on their way.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	16. Chapter 16

Snake walked alongside his lover as they approached Grell's apartment door. He had never been there before, but there was no doubt what one belonged to the red reaper as it was the only door in the hall with a bright red flowered wreath. He hurried forward, eager to see his son again, and knocked on the door, looking up at William. A moment passed, and no answer came.

Having not gotten an immediate answer, Will raised an eyebrow and knocked again...still no answer. Perhaps Grell had fallen asleep with Daniel... Still, his eyebrow twitched and he reached above the door frame to grab the spare key he knew the redhead kept there. He hurriedly unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Grell?" he called cautiously. There was no noise within the apartment, but suddenly he was shoved up against the wall and demonic red eyes filled his vision. He started and whipped out his scythe to fend off the attacking demon, shoving it off and immediately moving to attack it, "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"You brought the Prince with you. Good," the demon hissed, glaring at Timothy as it attempted to dodge Will's scythe. "We don't need the spawn anymore."

Will's eyes widened and he snarled as his attacks grew fiercer. "Where is my son?"

Timothy trembled as he stood frozen in the doorway, "What did you…you do? R-Red said Dani'd be safe!" he half whimpered, half hissed. Fearing for Daniel's life, his yellow eyes started to glow a dangerous red and his fangs and claws started to lengthen, "Where is Dani!"

"Don't know, don't care. Doesn't matter to me, I just wanted the Prince. A couple of pesky angels got here before us and chased off the reaper that was guarding the kid," the demon sneered and lunged towards Timothy.

"Us?" Will managed to utter before he was suddenly broadsided by a second demon that raked claws over his arm before he could turn and strike.

"William!" Snake ducked the demon and rushed forward, leaping at the second demon and digging his fangs deep into it's arm.

The demon, a female, screeched and backhanded Snake, attempting to wrench her arm from his jaws but having no luck. Will took advantage of the distraction to pull out his second scythe and used to to pin the first demon, the male, to the wall and jammed the other through his gut before getting in his face.

"What are you doing here? Tell me!" he spat, jerking the scythe in the demon's gut.

"Because Lucifer is too soft. Losing his beloved son would weaken him further. Perhaps enough for a more worthy King to take his place," the demon laughed maliciously. "There are plenty more of us. If we die here, there will be others."

"Father is not! He is a good man! …says myself!" Timothy hissed, tightening his grip on the female demon, his black claws digging deep into her arm.

Will snarled and finished off the arrogant male demon, the urgency to find their son making him want to rush. He beheaded the demon and turned on the remaining female who could not escape Snake's grip.

"Where's our baby?" Snake demanded in a hiss, determined to get a clue to where Grell may have taken Daniel. His glowing eyes narrowed and he growled, flashing his teeth, much like a lioness protecting her cub…in reality, that's how he felt. And he'd do what he could to get Daniel back.

The demon just laughed, "I don't know! Why don't you just follow the trail of blood the reaper left behind?" she cackled.

Will sneered and finished her off as well, not wanting to waste any more time. Once she as gone, he moved further into the apartment and saw the destruction that had been wrought. There was blood and feathers everywhere. Much of the furniture was overturned or destroyed and there were the telltale signs that Grell's chainsaw had been used. He saw the wrecked window and partially destroyed wall that had likely been the entrance and exit of the angels...from which there was a rather noticeable trail of blood which did not bode well at all for Grell.

"If they were telling the truth, Grell has Daniel and he is injured. Could you possibly follow the scent of his blood?"

"I…I'll try…" Timothy choked out, "Smells…too sweet in here…like angels…" he walked over to the trail of blood and leaned down, trying to catch the scent of Grell's blood over the overwhelming scent of angels, finally, he simply reached down and stuck his finger in it. It was still warm, so it had been a fairly recent attack. And then he straightened up. He knew the scent of William's blood well…he could even smell it from the wound the demon had just given him…it was barely a scratch, but he could smell it. And he knew why…he had been drinking his lover's blood…but he had never tasted Grell's. He raised the blood-covered finger to his lips and licked it clean. Closing his eyes to concentrate. Finally, after what felt like too long, he began to faintly pick up on the scent. He opened his eyes and looked out the window, "I…I think I have it…" he pointed off over the rooftops, east.

Will waited patiently until Timothy got an idea of where to head. A general direction was better than none at all and if they lost the blood trail at least they could try to pick it up again. He took Timothy's hand and squeezed it before taking his lover up in his arms.

"We'll find them," he said softly and reassuringly as he leaped out of the ruined window and bounded over the rooftops, keeping an eye out for angels or the telltale roar of a chainsaw. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted a large red streak on a warehouse rooftop that led to a door and steered over there quickly. He put his lover on his feet and had Snake confirm that the blood was Grell's. He rushed to the door and immediately heard the familiar roar of the chainsaw, Grell's angry shrieks and the wailing of Dani.

With renewed adrenaline, Will rushed down the stairs into the heart of the warehouse, jumping over an angel corpse on the way, and was greeted with the sight of Grell facing off with two obviously battle damaged angels, a third on the floor literally in pieces, and Dani's travel bassinet behind the enraged reaper.

"Back _off_!" Grell spat as he tried to wield his chainsaw, but it was made significantly more difficult with a missing hand.

Will immediately launched himself and his scythe toward one of the angels, breaking it's wing and distracting it from attacking Grell again as William tackled it to the floor. The redhead looked up, obviously bewildered as his glasses were missing and the right side of his face a bloody mess.

Timothy ran down after his lover, his pace quite a bit slower than Williams he didn't bother to jump over the body of the unmoving angel as he went down until he could see the horrific scene playing out before him. He hissed and felt his tail rip through the seat of his pants and his small black horns curling up from beneath his white hair. His friend was hurt, his lover was fighting angels…who were targeting his son. Anger and hate bubbled up within him, and his patches of scales spread, covering more of his pale skin, his tail thickening and growing into his legs, returning him to his more powerful naga form. His pants ripping to shreds. He slithered down the rest of the stairs, and lunged himself at one of the angels, ripping his claws deep into the white skin of the angel's side.

Will had managed to take the angel to the floor, but it was proving difficult to kill as they continued to roll about.

The angel Snake attacked shrieked in pain and terror as she looked upon him.

"Why is the Prince here? They were supposed to kill you!" she snarled and winced, trying to reach for her sword. "Unhand me, you evil beast!"

"This coming from the bitch trying to kidnap a baby!" Grell spat.

Snake growled, twisting his body and wrapping it around the angel like a boa constrictor would, squeezing the winged being tight until he heard bones break, "Keep. Away. From. My. Family!" he hissed before throwing the angel across the room.

Seeing Timothy had the one angel taken care of, Grell stayed close to the baby, though he was quickly growing weak from blood loss. He watched as Will continued to struggle with the other angel.

"Why did you take our son?" Will spat as he finally tossed the angel off him.

"Though born of a reaper and a demon, his soul is still innocent enough to be purified," the angel said coolly as she produced a wicked looking mace and threw herself at Will. "We are not entirely without mercy."

The angel in Snake's grasp shrieked again in pain, her voice gurgling from the blood filling her lungs from broken ribs, as her effort to reach her sword failed and she crumpled into a useless heap after she was tossed. She looked up in fear and tried to struggle to her feet, her wings broken and useless in aiding her now.

Snake slithered over to her, an uncharacteristic cruel glare gracing his features. This angel had wanted to _purify_ his son? He remembered how painful it had been when he had been wounded by a holy weapon, slowly being purified…slowly being killed. And these angels wanted to do that to his innocent baby boy? That was not going to happen if he had anything to say about it.

He knew it was wrong, and he knew fully what he was doing; but if he was as 'evil' as this angel had claimed, then he wouldn't show her mercy. He reached down and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her up so that her neck twisted unnaturally. He then grabbed her sword, ignoring the bolts of pain he received from holding it before he stabbed it through her abdomen. "I think you should purify yourselves before you go trying to purify what is already pure and good!" he hissed.

Will managed to dodge the mace and used both of his scythes to trip the angel and knock her down again. Grell had already wounded her badly and it would only take a choice hit or two to finish her off. When he had her prone again, he pounced on her, driving his scythe right through her spine and the other through her heart as he stepped on her mangled wings.

Meanwhile, the other angel could not escape Timothy's grasp and gasped in pain a she was run through with her own sword, "F-filth," she spat, blood oozing from her mouth as she coughed wetly and shuddered.

"You hurt my friend and made my baby cry…and you wanted to hurt him. If protecting him makes me filthy, then I'll be filthy." He hissed in a low, warning tone so only the angel could hear, "Nothing! Nothing gives you or your kind the right to touch him!" he yelled, slamming her back into the wall, letting her hang by her sword. Shaking, he turned away, ignoring the burn in his blackened hand as he moved over to Grell and Daniel.

Will had just finished off the angel when he looked over and saw Timothy had done the same with the other...but he was extremely ruthless. He'd never seen his lover so enraged, but then again, he was not at all frightened by it. The damn angels had it coming...and now, he too, was filled only with concern for Grell, Dani, and Timothy's blackened hand. He hurried over to them.

"S-sorry. I think I got blood on the babe," Grell said with a frown and collapsed to his knees. Will moved forward and caught Grell before he fell any further and carefully gathered him up, wincing when he realized how injured he was. Will could feel bones shifting.

"If that's the worst of it, then don't worry about it," Will said softly.

Timothy gave the injured reaper a small smile and carefully picked up the baby, "Can't stay here..." he muttered, both in fear of more angels or demons showing up, and because of the sickening, overwhelming scent of angel blood, "We...should get Dani and Red to a safe spot..."

"We are quite far from anywhere familiar right now. It would be faster to go back home, and Grell needs medical attention, but you cannot go into the Reaper realm as you are, and I'd rather our son not go unless it is absolutely necessary. Let's get you and Dani back to the house. Perhaps your father has heard of the disturbances and might show up soon, then I will take Grell to the medical ward," he said as he carefully scooped the reaper up into his arms.

The redhead groaned in pain, but bit his lip. "I'm really sorry I made Dani cry," he said, his head lolling as he tried to find Timothy, obviously delirious.

Snake shook his head, patting Daniel's back comfortingly, trying to calm his crying, "You protected him…" he frowned and paused before he leaned in and pressed a small kiss to the redhead's temple, "Thank you." He then looked up at William, "Lets go."

"Yes, Grell, thank you," Will said softly and headed out of the warehouse towards home.

* * *

 

The devil had, indeed, heard of the fight that broke out as well as a demonic rage burst forth, quickly making his way up towards the disturbance just as the group was heading towards the house. He literally flew out from the shadows nearby, hurrying over to them to assess the damage, folding his large wings behind him. "…as long as they were taken down without taking anyone with them." he sighed, walking beside them so they could keep moving. "Though I regret showing a little too late to help…"

"Father…" Snake moved over to lean against the devil, Daniel's cries settling down into a series of hiccups. "They wanted to purify Daniel…"

Grell flinched violently at Tristin's arrival, having been surprised, and groaned in pain from the reaction. Will reassured the reaper that everything was okay and looked to the devil.

"Please, can you take Tim and Dani home? Grell needs medical attention badly," Will said as they continued to hurry along.

Grell chuckled and tried to focus, "I'd ask to shake your hand for putting up with Will for a son-in-law, but it's a bit difficult," the redhead laughed hysterically.

Snake blushed "…N-not…married…"

Tristin nodded, looking back at Grell in Will's arms and noticing his missing hand. "..you seem to be missing something important, dear. You wouldn't happen to still have it on you? I may be of some help reattaching it…"

Grell blinked at the question and started moving around as if searching for something.

"I was going to ask about that as well," Will said, trying to keep the redhead from wiggling around. "Grell, stop it."

"It's in my pocket," the redhead said with a pout.

"In...your pocket..." William said with a raised eyebrow.

"I've lost limbs before, Will, I'm smart enough to keep them when they fall off!" he snapped.

Snake's eyes widened, "You…can put them back on? But…how?"

"Mmhm." Tristin nodded, looking at Timothy with a smile. "Certainly, just the same as plugging something back in…although, for humans, it would require a little more than a simple stitching. They are not built for such wounds, but we are!" He chuckled, looking back at Grell. "Excellent, my dear, I am glad you managed to hold onto it." He walked with them until they arrived back at their home, opening the door and holding it open so the others could safely enter.

Grell could not stay conscious much longer and was out cold long before they reached the house. Will took Grell straight to the guest bedroom and lay him on the bed, then looked to Tristin, "What can you do for him?"

"Return his hand to him and mend it, but since he's lost a good amount of blood, I can't quicken the healing process all that much. I can stop the bleeding, at least." he replied as he carefully fished out the red-head's hand from his pocket, holding it to the stump of his wrist with both hands and beginning to slowly mend it. "Because of that, I recommend he not use this hand very much for at least a week or two."

Snake started to watch the process but turned away, holding Daniel to him, "But he'll…be alright…won't he? He…he protected Dani…"

"He won't die, but he is not going to be very happy about it. I've actually seen him in worse condition than this, if only just," Will said as he cleaned off the right side of Grell's face, revealing nasty slashes that nearly took out his eye. The redhead didn't stir from all the attention and William finally just let him be while Tristin worked on him. Will approached Timothy and Dani, embracing both of them as he kissed his son's hair.

"We owe him a great debt," William sighed in relief and ran his hands over Timothy's arms. "How are your hands?"

The devil held onto the Reaper's wrist until it had been completely healed, the faint line of a scar wrapped around his wrist where it hadn't completely healed properly due to lack of blood. He carefully lowered Grell's hand down over his chest while he rest there before looking over at the three, smiling at the sight, but instantly cocking his head at William's question towards Timothy's hands. "Did something happen to them?" he asked, striding over to see.

Snake cast his gaze down, "They burn…I…I touched that angel's sword…" he shifted Daniel to one arm and held up his free, blackened hand.

Will carefully took Dani from Snake to let Tristin get a better look at his hands.

"Oh my…you should be more careful with those weapons since you are still young.." he sighed, gingerly taking his son's burned hand into his own, running his thumb over it slowly while healing it, looking as though he were simply wiping away black dirt.

"I'm sorry, father…I…I got mad she wanted to hurt Dani…" Snake muttered.

"It's all right, son…I've done plenty of stupid things myself when angered. It was a reaction." He smiled. After a while, he turned Timothy's healed hand over to check for anymore holy burns before letting him have it back, smiling, then looking over at William and Daniel. "Hopefully you managed with a few scratches and the little one with none…"

"I've a few scratches, but Dani appears to be perfectly fine," Will said as he looked the baby over, then looked back to Tristin. "Thank you for helping us, sir."

"Of course...although if there is ever another attack like this, don't be afraid to call out for my help a little sooner." he chuckled, giving him a wink. "Shall I stay and help for the evening? I have nothing else to preoccupy my time..."

Snake walked over to William, brushing Daniel's hair to the side, "I…I don't want you to go back to work tonight…" he muttered quietly.

"I do not wish to, either," Will said with a shake of his head as he cupped Timothy's cheek. "And I have a feeling the disturbances were caused by those that had a hand in this whole debacle evening. I will send word to the Dispatch that further investigation can wait until tomorrow. For now, I would like to be home with my family," he said as he handed the baby back to Snake and looked to the devil. "That includes you, too, of course, Tristin."

Snake took Daniel and held him gently, bouncing him in his arms slightly as the child gave a wide yawn, his eyes drifting closed, though he fought it.

Tristin gave a nod, smiling gently. "Naturally I will be staying...I will keep my eyes on things while the three of you rest properly tonight…"

* * *

**To be continued...**


	17. Chapter 17

Ronald yawned as he turned on his mower scythe and used it to release the records of an elderly woman who had passed away in her sleep. He had had a late night with Eric and Alan, having forgotten he had an early shift in the morning. The blond jotted down a few notes on his clipboard as the records played out around him, when he was suddenly flung back into the wall of the small room on the second floor above a small bakery. He gasped and dropped his pen and clipboard, gripping the clawed hand around his throat.

"Gahg!" Gasping, the reaper kicked out throwing his attacker back enough for him to scramble around and grab a hold his scythe. He spun around to face a smirking demon, "If you're looking for a meal you won't fine one here! I've already collected her!"

"Oh~ But I'm not here for her soul. Though an easy meal would be a nice bonus." The demon chuckled, his shadowy figure taking on a human form, "I want to know where you Death Gods have hidden our dear Prince and his child." He lunged at Ronald, stepping on the roaring mower and flipping over the blond, grabbing him by the shoulders and throwing him through the window into the alley below.

Ronald groaned and started to push himself up when the demon landed on him, digging his claws deep into his shoulder and chest, causing him to scream out, "I-I don't—know what your talking about!" he gasped, reaching for the knife he kept in his pocket, the hilt getting caught on the fabric of his pants.

"Don't play stupid, reaper. We know you have him. Tell me where he is and I'll let you free." A sadistic smile curved his thin lips, showing a row of pointed, spindled teeth that made Grell's look tame, "Refuse and I'll make you wish I had killed you."

"I don't know anything!" Ronald snapped, finally getting the knife out of his pocket and jabbing it up into the demon's stomach to the hilt.

The demon roared in anger and withdrew his claws from Ronald's shoulder, snapping his arm that held the dagger. His eyes flashed a dangerous red and he sank his teeth deep into Ronald's neck, tearing the soft flesh.

* * *

 

Ron had been due back to the rendezvous point over an hour before, and Eric drummed his fingers on the wall, wanting to know where the hell the boy was. He felt a _little_ guilty for keeping him up so late the night before, but only in the fact that he was probably so tired, and maybe a little sore, that he'd gone and snuck off for a nap. He'd done it before, but usually he waited to be back to the office for that.

It was the last collection of the day...Maybe he'd skipped out and headed to a pub right after because he was pissed about being kept up? But that wasn't like him. Even if he did sleep on the clock sometimes, he at least turned his reports in on time and he never messed with meeting times. Eric grumbled to himself and decided his paranoia was winning so he decided to go see how Knox was holding up. He'd probably just smack him upside the head when he found him sleeping. He kept telling himself that even as he hurried to the collection point Ron had run off to.

Alan was walking through the halls, shuffling through some papers in a folder as he headed to Eric's office, looking a little tired and warn, himself. He stopped and smiled up at Eric, "I didn't think you had any field work today…where are you off to?" he asked, jogging to catch up to Eric when he spotted him leaving his office.

"Eh? Oh! Al!" Eric said as he spun around, not expecting to run into Alan on his way out. "Ah, just feelin' a little paranoid about Ron...he was supposed to be back already so I was just gonna make sure he wasn't skipping out or anything."

Alan smiled, chuckling, "You know he wouldn't do that if it'd give him overtime. And from what I saw, he has quite a bit of paperwork sitting on his desk… How long ago was he due back?"

"He was supposed to be back over an hour ago..." Eric said with a bit of a frown, rubbing the back of his neck.

Alan nearly dropped the files in his arms, "What? That…That's more than you made it sound like…what if something happened to him? I'm coming with you."

"Yeah, I know, that's why I was heading out in a hurry. Let's go," he said, taking the files and dropping them on a nearby desk before grabbing Alan's hand and heading out.

The smaller reaper didn't protest as he normally would, hurrying after his older lover. "Where was his collection? We might as well check there first."

"That was the plan, Al. I got it already. Just follow me. I really hope the little bastard is just napping on the job..."

With that, they headed out, Eric hurrying if only because his paranoia was growing worse. He was usually pretty good about hiding it, but Alan could probably tell how worried he was. It took them longer than he liked because he got turned around, but they finally came to the collection site and Eric felt a chill run through his body when he saw the broken window and blood on the glass. He rushed forward to look out the window into the alley it faced hoping that this was because of the reap; and not because of Ron getting attacked by someone or something.

Below, Ronald's scythe lay on it's side, but there was no sign of Ronald. Alan pushed Eric out of the way and leapt down from the window, approaching the mower, a worried look on his face, "…I don't think he's napping…" out the corner of his eye, Alan spotted Ronald's knife, covered in blood and he ran over to it, picking it up. The smell of a demon wafted from the metallic red stain, "Eric! I think a demon has him!"

"Shit!" Eric cursed and followed behind Alan and looked around for any sign of where they might have gone. He jumped to the rooftop and scanned the area for any sign of blood or the demon.

* * *

 

A few roads down, Ronald stumbled, clutching his bleeding neck as he lost his footing and fell into a pile of crates, causing them to crash down around him.

The demon approached, "This chase isn't amusing anymore, reaper." He growled, grabbing Ron's shirt and pulling him up, "Just tell me what you know."

Ronald glared and spat his mouthful of blood into the demon's face, "I already—have! I—know nothing!"

* * *

 

Eric found a very faint trail of blood going over the rooftops and whistled to Alan to get him to follow. The trail ended too soon and he dropped again to the street below where Eric heard a clatter of something falling further ahead. He rushed forward, following the sound and rounded a corner to find Ron in the clutches of a demon.

"Get your bloody hands off him!" Eric spat and rushed forward, his saw at the ready.

"Oh~ more little reapers." The demon's grin grew too wide for his face, the corners of his mouth cracking, blood dribbling down his jaw. "Perhaps one of you'll tell me what I want to know." He spun Ronald around to use him as a shield, his long black claws pressed to Ron's neck, slicing into his skin slightly, "Tell me, where is the Prince?"

Alan froze, his eyes widening as he watched, gripping the handle of his scythe tightly.

"Ah, probably in Buckingham palace? What bloody prince?!" Eric growled.

" _Our_ prince. The son of Lucifer himself, what other prince would I be interested in? I know you reapers are protecting him and his little brat. I want to know where he is being kept."

"We don't bloody know, you daft git! Now let him go or I'll rip you to shreds!" Eric yelled.

"Little liars, the lot of you. We've seen him with your kind." He pressed his claws tighter against Ron's throat, causing him to gag out.

Alan glared, slipping around the corner when the demon was focused on Eric.

"It's simple. Give me the location of the little half-blood and I'll let your friend go. Continue to test me and I'll kill him faster than you can raise that scythe of yours."

Alan quickly snuck around and came up behind the demon, silently bringing the blade of his scythe down into the devil's back, forcing his records to flow. Then with an angry scream, he twisted his scythe, cutting the records and killing the demon.

As soon as the demon's body blew away as ash, Ronald fell too his knees, coughing.

Eric moved forward to scoop Ron up into his arms and looked up at Alan.

"I love it when you get all aggressive like that," he said with a smirk, then turned his attention to the blond in his arms. "We need to get you to the doc, kid." He started carrying Ron away and kept a look out for any more odd demons, "What the hell was that all about?"

"No one touches our little Ronald like that and gets away with it." Alan said.

"I'm not—little…" Ronald muttered, "He…didn't want the soul…just… some Prince of some sort…"

"Don't talk, Ron." Alan said softly, kissing the top of his head gingerly, "Eric, you get him to the medical ward, I'll go report this to William."

"Good idea. I knew there was a reason I kept ya around," Eric said with a grin and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Be safe. I'll make sure our boy gets seen."

Alan nodded and hurried off.

* * *

 

The small reaper knocked on William's door, waiting for a response before stepping in, "Sir…? I'm afraid I have to report an incident….Ronald was attacked by a demon on his collection." He said, not waiting for William to respond.

Will looked up from his paperwork and moved to stand.

"Is he in stable condition?"

"He was awake and talking when I left him…Eric is taking him to the medical ward…" He frowned, the demon's words, and Ronald's comment nagging at the back of his mind, "He said that the demon wasn't after the soul he was collecting…And the demon itself was demanding information…he seemed pretty desperate for it…"

"A demon demanding information from a reaper?" Will asked with a raised eyebrow. "What was it so desperate to know?"

The younger reaper shrugged, "I don't know for sure…I was more focusing on trying to get Ronald to safety…but I think it had said something about a prince. I think Ron or Eric could tell you more."

William's eyes widened involuntarily at the mention of 'prince'.

"Yes, I'm sure they could," William said as he adjusted his glasses and went to the door, gesturing for Alan to leave first. "Let us see how Knox is faring and I will ask my questions then."

Alan nodded and eagerly left, keeping ahead of his boss as they made their way to the hospital.

* * *

 

When they walked into the Lobby, a doctor had just walked out and was talking to Eric; "Mister Knox is doing fine, and will make a complete recovery soon. He had a nasty bite to his neck, but we were able to remove all toxins from it, so there is no risk of change."

"Can we see him?" Alan asked quickly from behind the doctor, giving the man a start as he hadn't realized anyone was listening in.

"Yes, you may." He said, motioning to the door to Ronald's room, "He's even awake. Refused to be given anything that would ease his pain and put him to sleep."

It greatly worried William that the reason behind the attack could be more demons in search of Timothy...and that those he worked with, those he supervised and considered the closest people he had to friends, were in danger because of it. He couldn't very well tell them the truth, either...not without dire consequences.

He followed behind Alan into Ronald's room and felt a slight twinge of guilt seeing how concerned Eric and Alan were for the younger reaper. He now understood that feeling...that concern one gets when seeing someone they hold dear in such a state. He let Eric and Alan have a few moments with Ron before he approached.

"How are you feeling, Ronald?"

"Like I got torn up by a demon while I was sleep-deprived." Ronald said with a small smile, leaning his head on Alan's shoulder as the reaper sat next to him on the bed, "Which isn't too far from the truth, really."

Eric stood with his arms crossed on the opposite side of Alan.

"Yeah a bloody crazy demon at that," Eric scowled.

"Alan was filling me in about that, but would you care to clarify? What had he wanted to know?" William asked from near the door

"The bugger was going on about some prince and said it wasn't a human prince...said it was theirs and was carrying on about us reapers hiding him. What the bloody hell? Why would _we_ hide a demon prince?" Eric scoffed.

"That's what he told me too…didn't believe me that I knew nothing. He insisted quite aggressively that us reapers were hiding the son of Lucifer." Ronald nodded, "I don't even understand why they would think we'd have a demon at all, let alone a demon like _that_. Mentioned a kid too…he made it sound like we were protecting him of all things…"

Will had hoped it hadn't been this and he felt his knees grow slightly weak as his blood ran cold. He pinched the bridge of his nose and subtly leaned against the wall for support for a moment. He could not tell these men the truth. It would only hurt them in the end. He knew if they knew, they were fool enough to try and protect him and Timothy and he would not risk them for simply a sense of camaraderie. And if not that, then...maybe...they might try and kill Timothy...He doubted it, but it was a logical possibility.

But if demons were attacking reapers searching for Timothy and Daniel, then how could he stop that? He was horribly powerless in the face of it all and it was his duty to protect the men that trusted him...It was quite a dilemma, but he still would not risk their safety any more than he already had. He straightened up and put on his usual serious expression.

"It must have been mad. There is no other explanation," he said with a crisp nod. "Though I am glad you are in one piece, Knox. For the time being, I will put out a memo warning all field workers to be on the look out for rogue demons."

Ronald nodded, but Alan didn't look convinced, "Are you okay, sir? You look pale…"

"I'm fine, thank you Mr. Humphries," Will said with an adjustment to his glasses.

"You're talking bollocks, sir!" Eric snapped. "You'd never _not_ refer to a demon as a parasite or a leech. You know something, don't you?"

"I'm inclined to agree." Alan said, "Sir, I think…if you know something about this 'prince' then you should tell us. I mean, we could have lost Ron because of this. And I would like to know why."

"And I think I deserve to know why I was attacked." Ronald nodded.

The words stung a bit, but he couldn't tell them.

"You were attacked because the demon was an idiot, Mr. Knox," William said crisply. "I cannot give you information I do not have. You shall have as many days off as necessary to properly recover. Now, if you'll excuse me," he said as he turned to leave.

Eric's eyes narrowed and he rushed forward, grabbed Will by the collar, dragged him back into the room, and shoved him against the wall, kicking the door closed.

"'scuse me, sir, but cut the bullshit! You _know_! I can bloody well tell, now tell us what the fuck is going on!" Eric snarled.

William was startled by Eric's attack, but he managed to keep his own temper, as sorely tempted as he was to sock the other reaper for his insolence.

"If I tell you, all of you will just be in more danger, now release me, Eric," Will said coldly.

"Yes because knowing why we are being targeted so we can be ready is much more dangerous than not knowing a thing about it." Ronald said, rolling his eyes, "Is this why Grell-senpai isn't at work today? Was he attacked too? Did he even know he may get attacked?"

At the mention of Grell, Will sighed heavily and his stern expression softened.

"He...was... And he knew there was a small possibility of it happening," he said softly. "Please unhand me, Mr. Slingby."

"Tch!" Eric let him go with a huff. "I don't mean to be so rough, boss. I just want answers so I can protect myself and m' lovers."

"I understand. I honestly do, but I fear the information will not help in the least. There is nothing it will change."

Ronald fell quiet, thinking, "Grell had that baby with him last night…" he muttered, "Does this have anything to do with your kid and that human boy you have living with you?"

Will sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose again.

"If I tell you, all of you must swear you will not tell another soul about this and you accept that this is extremely dangerous information to have."

"Obviously." Ronald said, rolling his eyes.

"We can handle it, sir." Alan nodded.

"Of course, boss," Eric said with a soft nod.

Will stepped away from the wall and made sure the door was closed and locked before approaching the bed and gesturing Eric to join them so he could speak softly and lowly.

"I'm sure Ronald has told you about Timothy, right? The boy I had taken in last year?"

"Yeah," Eric said with a nod. They were supposed to act like they didn't know, but since Will already knew, there was no point in denying it.

"He is my lover," Will said crisply.

"Knew that, too, Ronnie told- Oops-" Eric grinned sheepishly. "Sorry boss, he told us last night."

"I thought as much," Will said with a nod before looking to Ron. "When I said last night that he was human, it was half truth. He is half human, but he is also half demon...Not only that, he is the son of Lucifer himself. Hence, he _is_ the Prince the demon was searching for."

"You, boss? You knew he was a demon-!" Eric gasped.

"Not at first," Will said with a shake of his head. "I found out last year when I had been attacked by an angel and Timothy's demonic blood awoke...but by then, I couldn't let him go..."

"So that's why he said he wasn't human…I thought it was strange…" Ronald muttered, then stiffened, "I'm…guessing you didn't adopt that baby then…right? He really is your kid? I had heard a rumor once that demons, even males, can get pregnant…"

"…You are sleeping with a demon?" Alan blinked, looking stunned. Never having thought it would be possible for William to do such a thing. It sounded much more like something Grell would be doing, not William, "So…that's why the demon thought reapers had their prince…they saw him with you and assumed…"

"Yes, Daniel is our son...and Grell had been babysitting him last night when he, too, was attacked," Will said with a shake of his head. "We believe it is simply rebel demons wishing to overthrow Lucifer that are causing this mess...but apparently it is a common thing for rebels to do this sort of thing and I do not know how to stop it. So, as you see, the knowledge is not helpful in the least."

"Maybe not super helpful…" Alan said, "Sir, we are your friends, we can help. You apparently have a family now. You have to take care of your kid, it isn't fair for you to have your hands full with rogue demons on top of work, raising your kid, and maintaining your relationship with Timothy."

"I don't even see how that timid little guy can be a demon, even half-demon doesn't seem to fit him…" Ronald muttered.

"There is no reason to drag the rest of you into this," Will said crisply. "Grell got too involved and he nearly died. Timothy and I have been attacked numerous times and we've come out alive. All I ask is that you all take caution out in the field. If you are attacked, do not hesitate to give them my name to get them off your back. This is my problem, not yours."

"Bull! Even if I had known today I wouldn't have sent that thing after you!" Ronald snapped. "Friends don't betray each other."

"This is precisely why I did not want to tell any of you," William said lowly. He would have them risking their lives in the field for him and his family. Perhaps if they saw him differently, they would be more reluctant to help.

"I am not your friend, I am your supervisor. Your task is to collect and judge souls and follow my orders. If a demon questions you, you will give it my name. Is that understood?"

"Or what?" Ronald asked, crossing his arms.

"Ronald." Alan warned with a look.

"What? You can't possibly agree to let him alone in this!"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it boss," Eric said. "Just smile and do as the man says, Ronnie."

"Thank you, Eric," William said before finally leaving.

As soon as his footsteps faded away, Eric sighed and looked at his lovers.

"Wasn't gonna matter what we said, he wasn't gonna take no for an answer. But, no, we're not gonna let him be alone in all that. He doesn't need to know that, though."

Alan nodded in agreement, "But for now…" he turned to Ronald, "You are getting some sleep. We all three know you won't be getting any sleep once you can come home, so sleep." He pushed the blond down against his pillow.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	18. Chapter 18

Since he'd been so helpful in keeping Daniel safe, Will and Timothy insisted that Grell stay with them as he recovered. And considering his apartment had been practically destroyed from the incident, Will took it upon himself to find another, safer apartment for his long time friend. He couldn't let him stay where he might be found and attacked again. Grell felt a little strange about it considering it felt like he was interfering in the home of a couple of newlyweds, but he gladly took the opportunity to chat with Timothy during the day when Will was gone. Once Will was home, Grell was taken out of bed to the sitting room where the whole family spent time together, including Lucifer.

Had Grell not been told outright that the man was _the_ Devil, he never would have believed it, and he clearly understood why Will had been able to accept him so easily. He was really damn likable and exhibited no demonic behavior whatsoever. Since he'd been healed, he never got the chance to speak to the man one-on-one. There was always Timmy or Daniel or Will...but, finally, Timothy needed to get out of the house with the baby. It had been several days and both of them needed some sunshine, which left Grell alone with Tristin. He did not like being bed-ridden, but at least it gave him an opportunity to thank the man.

"You know, I never really got to thank you for saving my hand," Grell said as he lifted said hand and flexed his fingers. "So, thank you, handsome. I'd be a very sad reaper without it."

Tristin nodded with a smile at the redhead. "Of course, my dear. I know too well that a skilled reaper requires both hands, especially to wield their scythe properly." He crossed his knees while sitting comfortably in the chair beside the bed, folding his hands in his lap.

"And if I wasn't a reaper, would I not have gotten your help? Hmm?" Grell grinned teasingly.

"Perhaps not, all depending on if you were on my good side or great side." he grinned back, winking at him.

"Oh? Just good or great? What if I want to get on your _best_ side, darling? What would one have to do to reap the rewards of that, so to speak?"

"Simply keep up with what you're doing right now and we will be just fine~"

Grell grinned and nodded, "You know, I just can't see why all those nasty rumors were spread about you. You don't live up to your reputation and I have to say I'm impressed. I've never seen a father dote the way you do. Well, except for _me_ , but to compare you to me is out of the question," Grell said a little haughtily with a playful smirk.

The devil chuckled. "Believe me, Grell, I still live up to my reputation when needed...I only choose to not show that darker part of myself to my children unless I have no other choice." He leaned in, running a black nail along the reaper's cheek with a grin. "If I didn't keep up my dark nature, I would have been assassinated...or attempted to be many times now. Note that I am still very much alive and kicking…"

"Oh, I know _all_ about reputation, darling. And I am glad you're alive because I probably wouldn't have my hand otherwise, and Timmy gets to have a good father. As does Will for that matter, I suppose," Grell said contemplatively.

"Yes, indeed." he smiled, leaning back in his chair again but scooting it closer to the bed. "I intend on staying here if not nearby for as long as allowed before others become suspicious. I have to make sure you don't lose anymore limbs, after all."

"I think it's healed quite nicely," he said, stroking his fingers over the blankets. "I can feel textures that's for sure...but temperatures I seem to be having issue with," he said with a slight frown, then looked over at the demon with a mischievous smirk before crooking a finger at him. "Come join me. Let me touch you and figure out this temperature dilemma. It's no use touching my own skin since I won't sense much of a difference."

His gentle smile became a sly smirk in a split second, slipping himself over to sit close beside the red-headed reaper. "If you are too cold for your own liking, then allow me to help warm you, my dear…"

"Oh, yes please..." Grell purred, moving over on the bed in invitation.

Tristin grinned, shifting closer while he ran a hand over the reaper's torso, following down along the buttons as he leaned in further to brush his lips lightly along Grell's neck. The devil then wrapped his arm around the other, dragging the tip of his tongue teasingly along his throat before returning to his feathery kisses along the side of his neck.

* * *

 

Snake had just gotten back home, moving quietly through the house as he put things away, Daniel laying comfortably in the crook of his arm. He grabbed a glass and filled it with water, unknowing that Tristin had come by to visit. He then walked to the guest room where Grell was staying and knocked lightly before pushing the door open more, freezing at the sight that met his widening yellow eyes.

Daniel broke the silence with a loud giggle.

"Hm?" Tristin paused his teasing and glanced up, seeing Timothy with Daniel watching them from the doorway. He grinned and slowly straightened up to face them. "Welcome home~"

Grell moaned softly from the demon's attentions and was about to return them in kind when the door creaked open to reveal Timmy and the baby. He really had to fight the frown that threatened to tug at his lips. Still, he did not move away from Tristin, "Timmy, darling, did you get enough fresh air?" he asked, his voice a bit tight.

Snake's face turned bright red and he clumsily backed up, "S-Sorry! I…I'll leave you alone, and…Sorry!" he stuttered in a panicked whisper, horrified that he had walked in on his father and Grell… He turned and hurried out, closing the door tight behind him.

The devil chuckled in amusement at his son's flustered state, wiggling his fingers at him as Timothy closed the door once more. "Ah, he is simply too precious…now then..." He turned his attention back to Grell, leaning in with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Where were we~?"

Grell breathed a sigh of relief when the boy left, then turned his attention back to Tristin, "I believe we were at the part where clothes go flying," he purred as he tackled the demon into the sheets.

* * *

 

Timothy moved outside, sitting in the evening sun to put distance between himself and what he assumed was happening in the guest room. Unable to calm his flushed cheeks, he looked down at Daniel as the boy gummed on his stuffed snake that had been given to him.

William was just returning home. He'd managed to get off early thanks to his own clever juggling of tasks and schedules as well as his burning desire to be home, and he was surprised to find Timothy on the front porch with the baby, but his face was quite red, "Timothy? Is everything alright?" he asked as he approached.

Timothy nodded stiffly, "I…I…" he looked up at his lover, "I think…Father and Red are…" he bit his lip.

"They are what?" William asked, tilting his head slightly. "Fighting?"

He shook his head, his cheeks darkening, "They are getting along… _really_ well…"

"Really? Hmm...I would say it surprises me, but honestly, it doesn't," Will said with a small shake of his head. "Perhaps we should give them a little time to themselves. I can set up the buggy and we can go have dinner together in town then perhaps we can pay a visit to Eric, Alan, and Ronald?"

Snake nodded and stood up, grabbing the diaper bag from inside the door, "When you're ready…But…I'm not going back in 'till they are done!"

"Alright, I will be back in a moment," Will said with a small nod as he entered the house. He simply wished to inform the pair that they were leaving. He quickly approached the door to the guest room and knocked crisply, ignoring the low moans coming from within.

"Timothy and I are having dinner in town. We'll be back later tonight," he said to the door before hurrying away to join Timothy back outside. He paused for a moment and drew his lover and his son into his arms to hold them both as he nuzzled Snake's soft hair, "I missed you," he said softly.

Snake smiled and nestled into his lover's arms, "We both missed you, didn't we, Dani?" he smiled, looking down at the child. Daniel giggled and reached up, his small fingers reaching outstretched for his father's glasses.

Will couldn't help but smile at his curious child, "These will do you little good, Daniel, but if you must," he chuckled softly as he took off his glasses and put them on the baby, "They are far too large yet, sweetheart."

Daniel blinked a confused look crossing his face before he cooed and grinned, wagging his arms around.

Timothy chuckled and kissed William's cheeks, slipping the glasses back onto his face, "Think…he'll need glasses like yours later when he gets bigger?"

"I honestly don't know...Reapers cannot have children, so it is difficult to say what traits of mine will be passed on to him," William said as he gently stroked his son's cheek. "I hope he doesn't. Honestly, it is quite troublesome being so blind without glasses. I hope he gets more of your traits," Will said giving Timothy a small smile.

"He…he already does…" he looked at the small patch of scales on the boy's face, "I hope people aren't mean to him for it…"

"I meant more than just physical traits, love," William said as he squeezed his lover. "And if we raise him right, the words of others will not faze him. We will raise him to be strong and keep him safe."

"I hope he's strong like you. I wasn't strong until my father's blood woke up in me."

"Pardon my language, but that is complete bollocks," William said with a shake of his head. "You have always been incredibly strong. There is no way you could have survived the way you have while maintaining that loving heart of yours without being strong."

Snake blushed, "Really?" he asked as Daniel took William's finger and gumming on it, looking up at both his parents with wide eyes.

"Yes. It takes much more effort to love and keep loving than anything else," William said softly as he watched the baby. "I had no choice in the matter for many years, or so I told myself. I had forgotten how to, but neither did I try again until you came along."

Timothy blinked a few times before boosting himself up to press a firm, confident kiss to his lover's lips.

William happily returned the kiss and reluctantly pulled away to give Dani a kiss on the forehead, "Let us get going then," he said softly before stepping away to get the cart and horse. It did not take him long and soon enough, all three of them were on their way to the city.

* * *

 

Ronald stretched and made his way through the streets, passing by an old church as he made his way to his, Eric and Alan's apartment after some unexpected overtime.

"I thought you said your people could handle this. How hard is it to capture a filthy little half human?" a voice cut through the silence, grabbing Ronald's attention.

"There were unexpected complications," another voice shot back.

Ronald quietly made his way over to the voices and peaked around the corner, seeing an unlikely sight; an angel and a demon.

"Like what? The reaper?" the angel snapped, "You'll never overthrow Lucifer if you can't even get past a death god to kill a half blood."

"Correction, _several_ reapers," the demon snarled. "And I wouldn't be talking, fluffball! Your people couldn't take out a death god that was protecting an infant!"

"We practically had that reaper dead. We would have gotten the child if _your_ people had done their job. Another reaper and your damned prince showed up." The angel sneered back, moving inches away from the demon.

"Tch! He showed up on our end, too, you know. We had fewer fighters than you, as well. You have no excuse. No, this is going nowhere...We need to formulate a better plan. Separation nearly worked, but we must get the Prince entirely away from the reapers."

"Your goal is the prince's assassination—or use as a tool to overthrow Lucy. What of the child? It is only a fourth demon. We can purify it. How do you expect to separate it from the reapers and your prince? The prince becomes powerful when he thinks his child is in danger."

"I could care less what happens to that abomination," the demon sneered. "The Prince is lucky to be alive with that impure blood of his as it is. Stupid weak humans are our food, they are not meant to be bred with. His attachment to his spawn is proof of his weakness...So, perhaps we go after the reaper father. The Prince's frail human heart is sure to be weak to his mate being in danger..."

"Indeed…Though I question his choice in men. I have personally had a run in with the reaper. The man is near heartless. I had thought he'd make a better demon than reaper." The angel replied. "Taking him out should be easy."

"He is not one to go down without a fight, but it should be easy enough to get him into a compromising situation when he is out in the field."

"Once he's taken care of then all I care about is the child. Do what you want with the Prince."

Ronald's eyes were wide as he watched the exchange, and he quietly started to back away, his foot catching on a raised cobblestone sending him falling backwards, "OOF!"

The demon perked up and turned at the sudden shuffling of feet. He rushed over to the source of the noise and spotted the blond reaper picking himself up off the ground.

"And what do we have here?" he said with a devious smirk.

"Nothing! Just passing through!" Ronald attempted, though he knew he was caught. He straightened up and didn't bother to brush himself off before he turned on his heel and ran. Fighting was only his second option. An angel and a devil working together? He'd avoid that fight if he could.

There was a fluttering of wings and the angel cut off his path, "I think we have a bit of bate for our plan, wouldn't you agree?" he grinned at the demon closing in behind Ronald.

"Yes. He's got the stink of that reaper all over him," the demon hissed as he came closer, ready to lunge at any moment.

"Hey! I beg your pardon, but I do _not_ have his scent all over me! If anything I'd have my lovers' scent on me, and you really don't want to make the two of them mad! So you'd be best to _back off_!" He hissed, summoning his scythe and letting it roar to life, "Move."

"Mmm~ Don't think so, reaper." The angel lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of blond locks before spreading his wings and taking off into the sky.

"You're too easy to use," the demon snickered, wrenching away the lawn mower from the young reaper's grasp as the angel took him into the air.

"Ghahh! Let—go!" he struggled to reach into his pocket to grab his knife, pulling it out and flipping open the blade, moving to jab it into the angel's arm.

The angel screeched and dropped Ronald, yanking out the blade and tossing it away as he watched the reaper fall back down towards the demon who waited below.

The demon grinned viciously and jumped up, grabbing Ron by the throat and slamming him down onto the ground viciously, "Oh, princess, don't fight," the demon tisked.

Ronald gasped and coughed up a small amount of blood, his body trembling slightly as he attempted to weakly wiggle away from the demon, "Who ya callin' a 'P-princess'..?"

"Oh don't kill it." The angel cooed, lowering himself from the sky, "Honestly, you impure creatures can be such bruits at times."

"I didn't use his scythe on him. He won't die, but he'll wish he had," the demon grinned maliciously, putting a foot on the reaper's chest.

"Ghh!" Ronald groaned against the pain. Why was it always him?

* * *

 

Alan sighed and looked out the window into the dark streets, "I didn't think Ronnie had that much overtime…" he muttered, glancing back at Eric, "One of us should have stayed with him. I'm getting worried…"

"If he heard you talking like that, he'd whine about it," Eric chuckled. "But since it'll make you feel better, we can go check up on him. I mean, it still isn't exactly safe out there for us reapers yet..."

"Exactly why I worry." Alan sighed, "I got word from William a moment ago that he and his family are on their way over. We should at least wait for them to arrive before we go out after Ron. After all, he may just be being a spoiled brat and might've stopped at a pub for a drink before heading home."

"They're bringing the baby?" Eric exclaimed.

"Yes." Alan nodded with a small smile, "They are bringing him."

Eric's eyes widened slightly, "Oh, shit, uh...it's not going to do anything weird, right?" Eric said, looking nervous. He didn't know how to deal with babies and was not at all looking forward to the prospect.

Alan rolled his eyes, "Babies are just tiny people, Eric. The most he'll probably do to you is gum on your finger or pull your hair if you scare him."

"Tiny people, my arse! If anyone but a baby did that, that's grounds to punch em' right in the face!"

"…You forget how much Ron and I pull your hair." He smirked.

"Yeah, but you also don't shit yourselves and drool and screech," he said, rolling his eyes.

"You are horrid. At least remember he's your _boss'_ kid, Eric." He said, hearing a knock on the door. He swatted Eric in the back of the head as he passed him and opened the door to come face to face with William, and a timid looking Snake holding a wiggling bundle of cloth, a small hand reaching out to try and grab a lock of white hair.

"Hello, Alan," William said with a nod. "We wanted to say 'hello' and thank you all again for the other day."

Eric poked his head around the corner, narrowing his eyes.

"If he throws up on anything, you're cleaning it up," Eric said looking pointedly at the bundle in Snake's arms.

"Eric!" Alan scolded with a scowl, "Just for that I hope he spits up on your pillow!"

"D-Daniel is a good boy…says myself." Snake muttered shyly.

"Oh I have no doubt of that." Alan smiled, ushering the family of three inside and closing the door, "May I?"

Timothy blinked then nodded, sliding the baby into Alan's arms.

"You're not going to want one, are you?" Eric asked, scratching the back of his head and not wanting to admit that Alan looked incredibly sweet holding the baby.

"It isn't as if being a parent is such a terrible thing, Eric," William said with a raised eyebrow.

"How can you be so cold? Look at hiiiim, he's adorable!" Alan cooed, looking down at the baby who only giggled and reached up to touch his face.

Eric approached Alan cautiously and looked over his shoulder at the burbling baby. "Yeah, he's cute, but babies suck the life right out of ya," Eric said as he looked up at Snake. "I bet you haven't had a solid night's sleep since he was born, have you? And you can't take a baby to a pub. It's just not practical," Eric said with a shake of his head.

"…Don't go to the pub…" Snake said, "…and Dani is quiet most nights…says myself."

"Meh," Eric scoffed. "He's gonna break hearts when he's old enough. Just look at that face. Let's just hope he doesn't get daddy's attitude."

William sighed and shook his head slightly. "Where is Ronald, by the way?"

"He hasn't come home yet…had some overtime." Alan muttered sitting down with Daniel and letting the baby suck on his fingertip.

"He's…not alone, right? Asks myself."

"Well, yeah," Eric answered. "But we were gonna go see where he was just now."

A scared look crossed Snake's shy face, "I…I don't want anyone more…to be hurt…says myself."

"I know ya just got here and all, but I'll go see if I can find Ronnie. You guys visit, I'll see what's keeping him," Eric said as he leaned in and kissed Alan's cheek.

"You be careful, I don't want to be worrying about two stubborn lovers." Alan smiled, "And do hurry back."

"Yeah, I will," Eric said with a grin. "Don't want baby germs all over me anyway," he snickered as he headed for the door.

"I will go with you, Eric," Will said following after him, then turned to Alan and Timothy. "If we don't return within an hour and a half, then something has likely happened. Timothy, get your father if you must, though I doubt it will be necessary."

Snake nodded, "Be…be careful, William…" he muttered softly as he watched his lover leave. His worried gaze lingered on the door a moment before turning back to Alan and his son, not batting an eye as Emily popped her head out of Daniel's blankets.

* * *

 

It was a simple thing to find where Ron had gone to; it was not so simple to find him once they got there. Ron's last soul of the day had still not been collected, which William took care of quickly, but there was absolutely no sign of Ron. A cold feeling of dread washed over William as they continued to search, hoping it wasn't and at the same time fearing that this was a repeat of the last incident...Where could he have gone to? Eric was silent the entire time.

The two men expanded their search, walking the streets along the path the younger reaper had most likely been taking on his way to the body before heading home. Empty roads and alleyways made up their path until, as they walked; Eric's foot fell into a rubble-filled dip in the cobblestone barely noticeable in the dark. A trail of drying blood dripping away from it, "Oi! Will! Look here!" Eric said, pointing at the blood trail.

William narrowed his eyes and scanned the area noting one luminescent feather floating on the breeze. This was far too close to Ron's collection site for it to be coincidental... "Get to the rooftops. We may have an angel on our hands," Will said crisply as he jumped.

"Those BLOODY-! RRGH!" Eric snarled as he followed after.

Dark clouds had started to fill the sky, blocking the moonlight and promising rain. But the birds-eye view of the scene allowed a better understanding of the situation. Or rather, it proved a good spot to spot the shimmering white wings of an angel contrasting against the dark sky in the distance, hovering over a building.

William caught the glint of white and called to Eric to get his attention on it as well. Together, they raced across the rooftops towards the angel, both hoping and fearing that it was Ron's location as well.

As they drew closer, more angels could be seen on and above the roof…along with other darker figures.

* * *

 

"Does everyone understand the new plan, then?" asked the original angel they had spotted as he hovered over the rest of the angels and demons.

William dropped back when he saw there were multiple angels...and he could feel demons as well. But, before he could say anything, Eric, who was quite livid and looking to take out some of that angry energy, kept right on going.

"Alright, ya bloody fluffball bastards! Where's the reaper?" he spat as he charged forward, swinging his scythe.

"…See? What I tell you?" a demon smirked, "There is no such thing as just one reaper."

"It isn't the one we want." An angel sneered.

"It'll only be a matter of time." The demon shot back.

"The hell do you mean 'just one'?" Eric spat.

William, unwilling to leave Eric on his own, rushed forward and joined him.

"That was very stupid, Eric," William growled, looking at the being that surrounded them.

"Ah, now that's the one we want." The angel chuckled, "You know, we don't have to fight. This can be settled peacefully. We have that little blond reaper of yours, and we'll give you him if you," he pointed at William, "Agree to come with us no resisting."

"Of course, if you rather fight, there's a chance you both fail. Or if you somehow stop all of us, you won't know where the blond is." A demon sneered. "I'd rather the fight."

Eric cracked his knuckles but William quirked an eyebrow, "How do we even know you have who we are looking for?"

The demon snapped his fingers and another demon pulled Ronald's scythe out into view. "Proof enough? Or would these help?" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of thick black framed glasses, his grip tightening on them so that the plastic creaked, threatening to snap in his fingers.

"Oi! You bas-!" Eric hissed and started moving forward, but Will put a hand out to stop him.

"What is it you want with me?" he asked calmly.

"Oh, it's nothing personal. You just happen to be in our way of a few things." An angel shrugged.

"That is not a satisfactory answer," William replied crisply.

"That is all you need to know." The demon hissed, squeezing Ronald's glasses more, "We can't guarantee the reaper's safety for long. He may just be…" he snapped the glasses in half and tossed them to the side. The glass cracking from the impact.

"You sonofa-!" Eric snarled and jumped forward but was stopped once more by Will grabbing him and pulling him back. The only reason he could believe that Ron was still alive was the presence of his scythe.

"Fine," William said coldly. "I'll not put up any resistance."

"Good." The angel nodded and two of his kin approached Will, grabbing his arms as a third took his scythe from him before they escorted him away from Eric and took off into the sky with him. As promised, Will didn't put up a fight and glared as the angels grabbed him.

Eric, fighting with himself on what to do, nearly launched himself at the angels as they took Will away, but decided against it. The man probably knew what he was doing, and he was sacrificing himself to get Ron back...and that was something Eric would not risk.

The demon turned, "Fine, get the little annoying one." Another demon disappeared through a portal, returning with the unconscious blond, leather bindings holding his arms and legs tight. The demon approached Eric and thrust the younger reaper into his arms. "I believe we are done here. Have a nice day."

"Where are you taking him!?" Eric demanded as he balanced the unconscious blond in his arms.

"Where he can't interfere." The demon shrugged, turning away, "The fluffballs have him so they may just let him go when all is said and done."

"Interfere with what? What is it you want?"

"It is none of your concern. Take your kin and go before we change our minds on letting things go peacefully. We have work to do, after all."

Eric looked between the demons and Ron, worried that the younger reaper may have been hurt in a way not immediately visible and dashed off with a sneer. He raced back to their shared apartment, pulling the leather bonds loose and laying the blonde out on the couch.

"We've got trouble, guys," he panted.

Snake walked out of the kitchen, holding a baby bottle that he was getting ready for Daniel, his eyes going wide at the sight, "I-is he alright…? Where…where is William?" he asked, quickly, setting down the bottle and rushing over to the two reapers.

"What's wrong?!" Alan said, rushing in, Daniel still in his arms. "R-Ron!" he gently lay the baby down on the love-seat and knelt beside Ronald and Eric, taking Ronald's hand.

Eric grimaced.

"A buncha angels and demons had Ron hostage for whatever reason and they wanted Will...so he went. I dunno what the hell they wanted," Eric growled, angry at himself.

Timothy's golden eyes widened, "Wh-what? Where…where did they take him?!" he asked, grabbing Eric's shoulder, his usual shyness melting away into panic, his eyes flashing.

"I don't know. They wouldn't tell me," Eric said, shaking his head sadly.

"…Mister Alan…can you…keep Daniel safe?"

"Of course I can…why? You can't honestly be thinking of going out after William alone…"

"P-people keep getting hurt!" Timothy said, "I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me. Your Ronald… and Red…I…I won't let anyone else get hurt!"

"You're not going alone," Eric said, standing up. "Besides, how can you find him?"

"I can find him…If I could find Red, I can find William…Emily?" he lowered his hand to the ground and let the snake slither up to his shoulder.

"What was that he mentioned before about your father?" Eric asked.

Snake immediately became flustered, "F-father and Red are…are…" his cheeks darkened as he tried not to think of what they were doing together.

"What?" Eric asked, looking really confused. "I know Grell is still laid up, but what does that have to do with your old man?"

"…They…"

"Oh Eric! It's obvious. Timothy's father is a demon, right? And a powerful one at that. Now remember the fact that Grell has a thing for demons. If he actually caught Timothy's father's eye…what do you think they could be doing that would get poor Timothy so flustered?" Alan said, not looking up as he examined Ronald.

"If he can help us get Will back, then he can stop shagging Sutcliff for a moment or two," Eric said with a roll of his eyes.

"Then maybe you should go break the two of them up. I doubt Timothy would like to be the one to walk in and see his own father taking part in such an activity." Alan frowned, "looks like Ron just has a few broken bones. I'll take care of him if you want to go help get his father off Grell. How does that sound, Tim—" Looking up, Alan trailed off, not seeing Timothy at all, "…Timothy?"

"Tim?" Eric asked, rushing into the next room. "Where the bloody hell are ya, boy?"

"…Shit." Alan wasn't a man who swore much, if at all, but sometimes he couldn't help it Spotting the front door still partly opened, this was one of those times, "Eric…I think he left already." He picked up Daniel and hurried to the door, "Go after him! Get his father and go." He demanded, He would have gone himself, but he doubted leaving Eric alone with a baby was the best idea.

"You be careful," Eric said cautiously. "We don't know if they'll come back for Ron or the baby..."

He kissed Alan on the cheek before dashing off. He went straight to Will's house and fortunately, Tristin and Grell had just finished up from a round. Eric had busted into the house and quickly explained the situation, quite out of breath. At the mention of William being in danger and Timothy having gone after him, the devil took off with Eric following shortly behind.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	19. Chapter 19

Timothy slowed his pace as he walked along the streets of London. He had acted so quickly, leaving the three reapers' home alone to try and find William, but he'd had no luck and second thoughts were slowly eating away at him. He hugged himself and timidly turned the corner, his eyes widening.

William.

He had caught William's scent. With refreshed determination; he ran forward, following the scent of his reaper lover.

Snake narrowed his eyes and looked up, spotting a group of angels. He gave a low hiss and his nails grew into claws as he climbed up to reach the roof. He had never used much of his demonic abilities, but he didn't stop to think, crouching low before springing up high into the sky, somehow managing to grab a hold of one of the angel's ankles.

As William was taken away, he could not glean anything from the angels. He had hoped they would answer his questions, but any speech from him earned him a punch to the jaw or a threatening jab from an angelic weapon. They were conveniently silent in their journey and it was maddening. What the hell did they want with him? Unless...they were going to use him as bait... Having just realized he was being used, William decided he was going to fight back. Ronald was safe and hopefully they'd let Eric go...and even if they hadn't, Slingby would give them hell if they tried to detain him. With a growl, Will kicked out hard, but his effort was in vain as quite suddenly, one of his captors was jerked downward. The angel cursed angrily, then laughed as he let go of William to let his brethren carry off the reaper while he dealt with the newly arrived Prince.

"G-give William back!" Snake glared, digging his claws deep into the angel, half afraid of falling, half to cause the angel pain. His yellow eyes darting over to William as he was carried off further.

The angel shook his leg angrily then dove down to the nearest rooftop to kick the demon off of him.

"Where is your spawn?" the angel demanded, drawing his saber and leveling it at Timothy.

"Won't say. You'll only hurt him! And…and he needs his daddy so make them bring William back!"

"Afraid not, Prince," the angel said with a shake of his head. "We need the child to purify it. What happens to you and it's father is of no consequence to us. The demons on the other hand..."

The angel stood up straight as two demons appeared from the shadows and stalked towards Timothy.

Meanwhile, William decided to take advantage of the fact that only one angel was carrying him. True, a fall would hurt, but he could manage and the appearance of a tall chimney stack a couple buildings away gave him an idea. He suddenly kicked out and began flailing wildly to loosen the angel's grip on him. Sufficiently distracted, Will used the opportunity to swing them towards the chimney and caught the angel's wing on it. Will threw himself from his captor's grip and slid for a short while before he finally found his feet and started dashing back over the rooftops back towards his lover.

Timothy glanced back at the demons, "I'm tired of my family being in danger. It took me too long to find them." He said in a low, but serious voice. He blinked, and when his eyes were open once more, they were glowing a dangerous red. Then he moved, charging at the angel and striking out. His movements smooth and precise, much like he was dancing, but his claws proved dangerous, stabbing into the angel. He ducked an attack, immediately coming in with a second attack of his own, driving his claw deep into the angel's side. Tristin had taught him how to fight in case he was ever attacked, and he was surprised how much came naturally in an actual fight.

He slid down, almost slithering until he was behind the angel and delivered a swift kick, sending the holy being at the demons that were charging him.

Before the angel could really strike back, he found himself stumbling and gritting his teeth in pain from the demon's attack. He couldn't catch himself and barreled into the two demons that had appeared.

The demons hissed in disgust and allowed the angel to fall before they pressed forward and simultaneously launched themselves at Timothy.

Snake bent and twisted his body, avoiding the attack and struck out at them, though his attack missed. He jumped back and regained his bearings, hissing at the demons, his demonic aura growing and making the night seem even darker.

"That's it, Princey," one of the demons hissed. "Get angry. We want your daddy to come find you," she snickered before throwing herself at him.

"I don't think you do." He growled, unable to move away quick enough, but managing to bite deep into her upper arm as she collided into him.

She screeched angrily and tore herself away just as a larger menacing shadow made itself known as it crawled over the side of the building.

"That's enough, your majesty," the demon growled with obvious contempt.

"Master," the female demon whimpered. "I was just about to-"

The larger demon ignored her whimpering, grabbed her and her companion and ripped both their heads off in the blink of an eye before turning back to Timothy.

"Why should your father be the ruler of Hell, hmm? When even his spawn is so _weak._ " the demon spat as he moved towards Snake.

Snake's eyes widened as he looked up at the new demon, trembling slightly as he felt the pure power pouring off the shadowy figure, "I-I-I…" he stuttered, backing away slightly from the overpowering shadow. He honestly didn't know much about Hell or his father's work. He only wanted his friends and family to be safe…

William had gotten into another scuffle with a couple of angels and had been delayed, but he brought forth his backup scythe and dispatched them quickly. He needed to get to Timothy, and raced over the rooftops, catching sight of a very imposing presence that had just killed two of it's fellow demons with hardly any effort. It stalked towards Timothy and before even thinking, Will launched himself at the creature, only thinking of saving his lover. His scythe barely missed and the demon growled angrily as it spun to meet Will's attack, reaching out to catch the reaper by the throat.

"W-William!" Snake's eyes widened and he rushed forward, grabbing the demon's arm and digging claws and fangs deep into it, trying to get him to let go of the reaper. Emily also made her move, striking out at the demon's fingers.

The demon twitched and flinched in response, then laughed and let go of William.

"That reaper is going to be the end of you and that good-for-nothing Lucifer," he growled and moved to strike at Timothy.

Snake glared and released his arm, bending backwards to evade the attack. He then grabbed William's wrist and pulled him along, putting distance between them and the demon.

William allowed himself to be pulled along but once they were a good distance away, he leveled his scythe at the demon.

"Your little scythe won't be enough to stop me, reaper, but I'm glad to toy with you both until 'daddy' shows up. He'd never risk his precious child. Though why he even bothers caring for a half-blood is beyond me," the demon snarled and stalked towards the pair. "You can't even call on your power, can you? Too much human blood interfering, isn't there, half-breed?"

"Wh-why do you care if Father cares for me? I'm _his_ family, not yours! I don't affect his job as Lord of Hell!" Snake shouted, not letting go of his lover.

"It doesn't, does it? He shows compassion to creatures other than demons and look what it gets him! Useless progeny far less worthy of the throne than he is already. And your abomination of a child is the worst product yet," the demon growled. "And yet here you are, Princeling, with your daddy's bleeding heart fighting to protect a filthy reaper who was sick enough to fuck you. I'm going to enjoy ripping both of you apart," he growled and charged them. "And after I'm done with you, I'm going to find that son of yours and eat his innocent little soul!"

Timothy's eyes widened, their already red glow growing brighter, his aura expanding and growing thicker as his horns curled up from his hair, his tail making it's appearance and overtaking his legs, the sound of bones in his back cracking painfully going seemingly ignored by the half-demon as he let go of William and gave a loud hiss. "Don't you touch our son!" his shirt tore as large scaly wings ripped from his back. Faster than he could register, he charged at the already charging demon, colliding with him. His long claws somehow sharper as he ripped them into the larger demon's torso.

The antagonizing demon had to swallow his words as he was bowled over by the rampaging Snake. He growled angrily and tried to pull away, but the half-demon's claws were embedded too deeply. William spotted the opportunity and launched his scythe at the demon's ankles, hoping to immobilize it. It screeched in pain, but took to digging it's own claws into Timothy's back.

Timothy cried out, but didn't withdraw his claws. He had a good grip and he wasn't going to let go.

What light was left in the area suddenly vanished at Timothy's cry, swallowing them all in darkness. A pair of glowing, orange eyes appeared from behind the demon that had assaulted the family, dark, shadowy claws reaching out and wrapping them tight around his head and gripping tight, threatening to squeeze him until there was nothing left of his skull. "You dare utter a threatening words towards my family?" a dark voice whispered from near the eyes, the sound of a hiss mixing in with the tone, "Even _harm_ them and speak lowly of not only them but _me_? _Release them_."

Snake's eyes widened as he looked at the glowing eyes, "F-Father?"

William had been about to pounce on the demon, his blood boiling from hearing Timothy's cry of pain, but he stopped short when he heard that familiar menacing voice.

The demon flinched and reflexively released Timothy to try and pry away the claws squeezing his head.

"You are not worthy of your crown!" the demon panted, despite being in such pain. "Your bleeding heart gave you a pathetic half-breed son! And instead of killing him, you allowed him to breed with a reaper! You and your line are _weak!_ "

The claws tightened around the demon, the hissing growing louder. "What my son does, does _not_ concern you." Another clawed hand, this one much larger, shot out and wrapped around the demon's middle tightly. "I keep things in line and keep bottom feeders like _you_ out of the order of things…I still claim _my_ throne while being more than a monster. That sharp tongue in your head has spat enough." A growl rumbled around them as one of the nails forced its way into the demon's mouth, shoving the claw in and piercing through his tongue to shred it before wrapping it around his claw and ripping it out. "My family is _none_ of your concern, you worthless insect. It's dirt like you I would hate to see procreate." he growled, his voice lowering to more of a whisper. "Unless you have already created spawn of your own...I will go take care of that poisonous bloodline myself the moment I'm finished scraping you from my heel..."

Timothy watched with wide eyes as his father showed his darker side, slowly withdrawing his claws, ripping the demon's flesh more as he did so, and backed up, unable to take his eyes off the scene.

The demon howled in pain as his tongue was shredded and his eye widened slightly at the mention of his own spawn. He was about to retort, despite being in so much pain, but Snake drawing back and ripping him up further silenced him as he panted to keep from screaming.

William watched the display in a mix of horror and awe. He wasn't really afraid as that wrath was not turned on him, but were he in the demon's shoes, that would be a different story. He could not blame Tristin for his ire. Will would be much the same if Dani had been threatened in such a way. He carefully stepped forward and put his hand on Snake's shoulder.

"Oi! Come on!" came Eric voice as he suddenly landed on the roof and dashed over to Will and Timothy. "We ain't leavin' Alan alone too long. Not with what happened with Grell! Looks like your old man's got a handle on this, so let's go!"

The eyes shifted towards Eric's voice, watching their every move towards Timothy and the others before returning to the demon writhing in his grasp. A sharp grin slowly appeared up above the demon. "There...that is the look I wanted to see. I will make sure your hell-spawn join you in pieces.." he growled, tightening his hold on him more until he snapped and fell into numerous pieces, the shadows slowly beginning to swirl into a more solid shape, though still towering above the rest of them as the higher demon leaned down to begin cleaning up the mess. The shape twisted down as the mouth opened wider to consume a larger portion of the once-demon's corpse, ripping at the rest with his claws as he let the other's be; he would have to catch up with them later once things calmed around them.

As Tristin began to feed upon the demon, Timothy finally was able to look away, turning to bury his face in William's shoulder as he clung to him, shaking slightly.

Eric blinked at the sight.

"Damn! Remind me never to piss that guy off," he said with a slight wince before shaking his head and turning away to head off back to his flat.

William put his arms around Timothy and nodded to Eric to let him know they would not be far behind.

"It's alright, love," he said softly. "Come. We have to go make sure Alan and Daniel are still safe."

Snake nodded and moved along with them, not daring to look back at his father as they left.

William stayed by Timothy's side to make sure he would be alright as they bounded over the rooftops. It did not take them long to near Eric's flat and just as they got close, William spotted the glare of wings not too far ahead of them.

"Bloody angels!" Eric hissed and sped up.

"Th-they'll hurt Dani!" Timothy gasped, moving to travel faster, only to gasp in pain from the deep claw marks in his back.

"Don't push yourself too far, Timothy," William said softly. "We won't let them do anything to the baby nor to Alan or Ron. Eric and I won't allow it."

Eric bounded ahead and immediately started attacking a few of the angels, taking one down immediately with a yell of anger. Will slowed a bit and gathered Timothy up into his arms to carry him and put less stress on his wounds. Once he was within range of a few of the angels, he set his lover down and launched himself into the fray with Eric. There were only five angels left, thanks to Eric's frenzy, but one in particular was proving hard to attack.

Timothy watched the two reapers fight the group of angels, until another glint caught his eye and he saw a sixth angel hurrying along unnoticed by his lover and Eric. Gritting his teeth, he slithered forward and moved quickly towards the angel, ignoring the pain in his back. He gave his wings a try, unable to lift himself from the ground, but found he could use them to speed his movements, and soon he slid into the angel's path.

The head angel paused in flight as the demonic presence grew stronger until he found his way blocked. He frowned and pointed his blade at the half-demon before him. "Move from my path, you filthy excuse of a creature, or I will slay you down so you join with the rest!" His wings twitched behind him as he landed onto the cobblestone, never lowering his arm nor his glare towards Timothy. He could sense a stronger power from him, one that was stronger than any normal demon he had faced in the past...apart from one. "You...you are Lucifer's spawn…" His expression turned into that of expecting triumph, seeing that the serpent demon was still suffering from his wounds in a previous battle. "I will deal with you soon, devil-spawn, but there is your child I must tend to. Even one of demon blood has a chance at purging the sin from his body and shall be saved!"

"Dani hasn't even had the chance to sin!" Snake snapped with a low hiss, his clawed fists clenching, "Leave him alone!"

"Watch your tone with me, boy!" he snapped, his grip on his blade tightening, "The child was born with demon blood pumping through his veins. His very existence would be removed thoroughly if he were not still an innocent child, saving the purity within him until _you_ corrupt him with your ways! You may have already claimed the Reapers beneath that incubi gaze of yours, but not I! Now, step aside so I can cleanse the child and purge him free of the dark hold you have on him!"

"I'd never hurt him! And I won't let you hurt him either!" he hissed, charging at his opponent, claws outstretched as he swung at the angel, aiming for his neck.

The angel dodged the serpent's attack and elbowed him hard in the back, purposely aiming for his wounds as he shoved him down to the ground. "Intentional or not, you will only be the cause of his damnation in the end...just as your father was the reason for yours…" He lowered his blade down and dug it against his hip, slashing it up to put a deep, gash into him.

Timothy cried out in pain, but glared out the corner of his eye at the holy being, his tail thrusting up into his torso in attempt to get him off. His eyes glowing as he flashed his fangs, reaching up and grabbing the angel's neck, yanking him down onto the ground.

He grunted and caught himself in time to roll out of Timothy's grip, hopping back up before charging him with his sword aimed straight to take off his head. "Be gone with you, vile spawn of Lucifer!"

Timothy bent back, narrowly avoiding the attack as the glowing blade cut up his cheek to his temple. Twisting, his tail caught the angel and wrapped around his body, squeezing him tight, the sound of bones snapping barely registering in Snake's mind. He grabbed the angel's shoulders before sinking his fangs deep into the back of his neck.

The angel attempted to grab at the tail that twisted around him, grunting in pain as he felt something inside him breaking. He shoved the blade of his sword into the base of the demon's tail, but not before those fangs sunk into his neck. His eyes went wide in shock, crying out as he gripped at the silver hair in a final attempt to be rid of the demon, wriggling and struggling in the tight hold.

Timothy grimaced, the taste of the angel's blood was so sweet it almost made him sick, but he held on, only biting harder as his hair was pulled. His claws digging deep into the angel's shoulders. Suddenly, he jerked, his tail holding the cherub's body still and causing his back to break.

"G-guh..." Ash choked as blood suddenly pooled his mouth, snapping at a perfect 90 degree angle in the wrong direction as the demon broke him in half, gasping in pain as he tried to hold on to what life he had left. He continued to tug at his hair, clawing at the air as his body twitched before going limp, the light in his eyes fading.

Breathing hard, Snake let go of the angel and let him fall to the ground as the corpse began to disperse into feathers

William was kept occupied by the angels attacking him and Eric. It wasn't until he heard Timothy cry out again that he caught sight of the battle his lover was currently engaged in. He started and moved to aid him, but he was stopped by two of the remaining five angels. He snarled and attacked quickly and ruthlessly, cursing himself for being so careless. It took much longer than he liked, taking down the two, and by the time he'd killed one and grievously wounded the other, he saw Snake's attacker limp in his grasp.

Eric had managed to kill one more angel, but the remaining two retreated after seeing their leader dead. William hurried to Timothy's side, worried when he saw new wounds on him.

Snake looked up at William with big eyes, "I…I didn't want to but he wanted to hurt Dani!" he explained.

"Do not fret over it. You were completely justified," William said softly as he drew Timothy into his arms. "Are you alright? How badly are you hurt?"

"I don't know…" he said, hugging him back, "Cheek burns…but…I want to get back to Dani first…"

"Let's get going then," Will said softly. "I am worried about him as well as Alan and Ron."

William took his lover's hand and followed after Eric, who was also moving quite quickly as he was eager to check on his lovers. They burst into the flat, panting from hurrying so much.

Alan looked up from the couch, as he helped clean Ronald's wounds, Daniel giggling on the cushions next to them, chewing on his toes happily. "Your back! Good! I was worried."

Snake hurried over and picked up Daniel, relieved that he was safe and happy.

"Nothin' happened?" Eric asked as he joined his lovers.

"We hope we have taken care of the problem, but were there any disturbances?" William asked as he joined Snake with Dani.

"No, nothing. Ronald tried waking up, but wasn't behaving so I made him go back to sleep." He pointed to a bottle on the coffee table, "Oh, and Daniel drooled a bit on your suit jacket because you left it laying out over the back of the couch, _again_ instead of putting it away."

"That's good…" Snake muttered softly.

"And you!" Alan rounded on Timothy, "Just because you are cute and shy doesn't mean you aren't getting a lecture! What were you thinking running off alone like that? You know we'd help you get William back!"

"I…I didn't want anyone else…getting hurt…says myself."

"Fortunately no one else was really hurt," Will said with a sigh. "Though I feel terrible that Ron was caught up in this again."

Eric frowned when he heard that his jacket had been drooled on. "It's part of the job. We know that. He knows that. Doesn't matter what we do, we're always gonna piss off angels or demons for one reason or another...You just happened to pick yourself one hell of a mate there, Will. Pun intended."

Will nodded softly in response. "Despite that, I cannot and will not imagine my life without him."

Snake blushed, "Is…Ronald going to be okay…asks myself?"

"You'd be surprise how fast he jumps back. The hard part is keeping him in bed long enough for him to heal properly." Alan said and he wrapped a bandage around his young lover's arm.

"Yeah, but to keep him in bed for other things..." Eric grinned lecherously.

William rolled his eyes slightly and looked to Alan.

"Is there anything we can do? Or shall we leave you to yourselves?"

"You behave, Eric!" Alan sighed, "I'm sorry, Sir, You just got here but it would be best if you three leave."

"No, I understand, Alan. Thank you very much for watching after our son," William said with a slight bow to Alan. "We shall get going."

"You three stay safe." Alan nodded, seeing them to the door.

"You as well," William said with a nod. "Give our best to Ron when he wakes up."

With that, they left, but as they walked along back to the cart, Will was feeling very contemplative and was silent for a long time before he finally looked to his lover.

"I wonder how often this is going to happen..." he said softly, "I wonder if maybe we should not live so close and endanger them any longer..."

Snake looked up, "But…you already travel so far for work…how much farther can we move?" he asked. He didn't want to see William's coworkers hurt any more than William had, but he knew William had responsibilities. He had left his own job so he could care for Daniel, but William's couldn't just up and leave. At least that's what he thought. After all, William was a reaper. His job was also his reason for existence…

"...I'm not sure," he said softly as they began the ride home. Why had he asked that? It wasn't as if he could quit. He would not wish to anyway...but he also did not like endangering others...

* * *

**To be continued...**


	20. Chapter 20

Several weeks passed without incident. Tristin had taken care of the demons that had been plotting against him, and the remaining angels had scattered once their leader had been killed.

Grell and Ronald both healed and were back at work, the red reaper able to move back into his restored apartment, leaving the small family alone once more.

Snake sighed, rubbing his eyes as he lay down on the couch. Daniel had kept him up all night, so he had sent his son to Tristin for a few hours so he could catch up on his sleep while William was at work.

A dizzy feeling swept over him and the room seemed to start spinning, groaning, and thinking he just needed some sleep, he curled up, pulling a blanket over his head, closing his eyes, but the spinning feeling only seemed to get worse. And then, suddenly, the soft couch seemed to transform into a hard floor, yet he didn't remember falling off the couch. Frowning, he sat up to get comfortable again, his golden eyes growing wide at the change of scenery around him.

The room was cold and dark, save for the flickering firelight from a few very distant candles.

"Heh...Heh heh heh HE HE HEEEEEE!" A mad cackling rang out in the darkness. "IT WORKED! BY ALL THAT IS UNHOLY, IT BLOODY WELL WORKED!"

A torched burst into life near Timothy, shedding light on the scene to reveal a very unassuming young man clutching a strange looking book. He was covered in slashes and wounds though he smiled almost manically as he stood a set distance away from the young half-blood. Around him were bodies. Dozens of dreadfully still bodies, all of young men and women, nude, archaic symbols carved into their flesh as their blood ran into a deeply etched and intricate circle in the floor...the blood encircling Timothy at it's very center.

The young half-demon's blood ran cold as his eyes seemed fixated on the scene. Golden eyes frantically flickering from the blood-filled crevices, the stilled bodies, and the man. Fear washed over him as he realized he was alone. He wasn't at home, He didn't have William, his father, and luckily, his son…but he didn't even have any of his serpent friends hidden within his clothes.

"Wh-what…" he stumbled back, further away from the madman and out of the center of the summoning circle.

"No! No, _no_! You aren't going anywhere! I've worked too hard for this. So many years, lifetimes, centuries, sacrifices! And finally! Finally, you're _mine_!" the man cackled madly. "Now, obey me, Lucifer!"

"I…I'm not Father…s-says myself" Snake squeaked in a quiet, fearful voice, backing up until he felt a stone pillar. There was so much he didn't understand.

The man blinked at the young half-blood, his expression growing contemplative.

"You're not...'Father'?"

Snake shook his head vigorously.

The man narrowed his eyes. "You're His spawn then?" he asked, looking at the young man critically.

Timothy nodded quickly, the thought, not even crossing his mind that it was dangerous to admit to a madman who was trying to summon Satan, that he was the son of Satan.

A wicked grin curled the man's lips as his gaze took on a power hungry edge.

"You can still suit my purposes. I made all these sacrifices to you, after all. I am owed compensation...even if you are a fledgling, you must have some of the Dragon's might."

Snake's eyes grew even wider and he shook his head, "I…I don't contract…says myself." He whispered, appalled that a man would kill so many people like he had.

"...How can you not? All those souls were for _you_! Did you not consume them?" the man asked, his voice growing angry.

Snake shook his head, "They are still there…waiting for collection from a reaper… says myself." He said, the realization hitting that a reaper would be showing up. He could only hope that it would be one that knew him. "…I do not need souls…" he added, shyly.

"...No," the man hissed. "You _will_ do as I say!"

He snarled and snapped his fingers and two shadows formed at the man's side, slowly becoming more substantial.

"I've a few of your father's friends that want a chat with you...I'm sure we can come to an understanding, welp," the man hissed as the shadows turned solid and next to him stood too fierce looking demons.

Wide golden eyes watched the two demons appear from the shadows, and then darted around the room, spotting a door. He took off running towards it.

"Go!" the man growled and the two large demons growled in response. They leaped in Timothy's path, snarling and growling in warning.

Gasping, Timothy let his wings rip from his back and he leapt up to see if he could fly over their heads. But it was difficult, not having used his wings properly before, and being in a low-ceiling room.

One demon jumped as Timothy attempted to make his awkward escape and caught him by the ankle. It growled and dragged him down, slamming him to the floor while the second demon moved to pounce on him.

Timothy gasped and looked up at the pouncing demon, letting out a warning hiss, his eyes shimmering red as his fangs lengthened and his scale patches started to cover all of his skin, his horns curling out and claws lengthening as he reached out to stop the demon.

"Yes, that's more like it," the man grinned as he watched his servants attack Timothy.

The pouncing demon extended his own claws as he met Snake's head on. He didn't seem to care that they were tearing into his own flesh. The first demon, now materializing further to have flaming red hair, moved to help pin down the struggling half-blood.

"No!" Snake gasped in pain as claws ripped into him, "Stop!" he thrashed, trying to get the demons off him, succeeding in spraying blood all over himself, but the two demons wouldn't let him up.

The man snapped his fingers again and the demons halted their assault.

"Are you willing to submit, yet?"

Timothy shook his head stubbornly. Not willing to give up his family for a contract when he didn't need souls to survive. "Y-you don't want me…says myself."

"And who are you to say that, fledgling? Do you even understand the power you possess?" the man paced as he looked at the subdued young half-blood, and a grin curled his lips as he remembered the rumor that the Prince had spawned as well. "Or perhaps your child will? Should I see if he is as susceptible to summoning as you are? I do have some of your blood now. It should be easy to call him..."

"No!" Snake began to thrash around again, kicking and clawing against the demons' grips.

The man approached carefully and knelt down, reaching out to swipe a finger across one of the gashes on Snake's arm.

"And how are you going to stop me, exactly?" the man asked with a grin.

"He's just a baby!" he cried, "He…he's a baby…still…drinks milk…"

"How cruel a parent you are," the man purred and wagged a finger as he moved to the center of the circle once more. "I could raise him to be a proper demon, one suiting his lineage."

The demons holding Timothy down chuckled.

"And if he doesn't raise him, we could always consume him. The soul of a demonic reaper, even an infant, would be delicious," the red-headed demon smirked.

"NO!" Snake hissed, letting the demons' claws rip deep into his body as he transformed and slithered out of their grip, charging at the man in the summoning circle.

The summoner started and backed up, shocked that the young half-demon had turned so ferocious so quickly.

"Get him!" he snarled and ordered his servants to go after Snake. The redhead grinned and scrambled to his feet, eager to pounce on Timothy. The other was a bit slower to respond, but charged after him just the same.

Timothy growled and tackled the man, "Don't _think_ of touching Daniel!"

The summoner's eyes widened as he was tackled by he irate young Snake. He yelled angrily and snarled at his servants, "If he will not obey, then he's better off dead! KILL HIM!" the man screeched. The demons both laughed darkly and jumped into the fray, the redhead ripping Timothy off his master and tossing him to the other. The second demon was about to pin Snake to the floor when the head of a spear suddenly shot out through his chest, his blood spewing over Snake beneath him.

"Unhand him this instant!" came William's stern and commanding voice. The demon gave a shudder as it looked down at the scythe, but it didn't have time to do anything before a second scythe pierced straight through it's heart. The demon immediately howled and collapsed into a pile of dark ashes.

"W-William!" Snake blinked in relief, happy to see his lover as he slid down the wall, his wounds quickly draining his strength now that he didn't have anger boiling his blood and upping his adrenaline as he fought to protect his son.

The redheaded demon took advantage of Timothy's distraction and pounced on him again, his fangs digging deep into his neck to drink his blood to restore his own wounds. The master chuckled.

"Excellent idea, Victor," the summoner purred. "Even the diluted blood of the Dragon will do you some good."

William sneered and went after the demon. If he took out the master first, then the demon would be free to do as it wished, and from the looks of things it wasn't following direct orders anyway. It wanted to hurt or kill Snake. If he took it down separately, then that only left the human...but it seemed that was going to be a tall order. He slashed at the demon's back and attempted to pry him away from Timothy.

"Stop!" Timothy gasped, pushing the demon off him and kicking out. His tail connected with the demon's chest, shoving him back into Will's scythe.

The redhead snarled and attempted to lash out again, but Will stabbed him through the leg as well, tripping him up. The demon tumbled to the ground and lay there panting for a moment as he tried to push himself back up to his feet. Will jumped and landed on the demon's chest, pinning him back down before skewering him with his scythe. The demon jerked and roared, but Will did it over and over until it stopped moving and collapsed into a pile of ash as it's brethren had.

Panting, Will turned to the summoner and with only a cold glare, speared the man, releasing his Records.

Snake panted, watching as the records ended before stumbling over to William and clinging to him, "William…They…they wanted a contract…they killed these people and got mad when I didn't take them!"

"Timothy!" William moved to carefully take his lover into his arms. "It's alright. Eric was here for a mass harvest, but he had heard lesser demons outside speaking about a potential summoning. He called for reinforcements. Thank Rhea I got here in time," he said softly as he cupped his young lover's cheek. "You look terrible..."

"…threatened to take Dani from us…" he said, "I let…them hurt me so I could stop it…before they summoned Dani too…"

William blinked and almost scowled but stopped himself before he did. He shook his head to clear it and carefully pulled Snake into his arms to give him a gentle hug. He released his young lover shortly after in order to kneel and inspect his wounds.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked softly.

"…Tired and feeling weak…but I'm okay, I think." He said softly, "I just want to go back home and rest…Father has Dani right now."

"Alright," William said softly. "Let's get going."

He put his arm about Snake's shoulders and started to guide him out of the horrible room. Just as they went through the door, they were greeted by the last of the fray between the remaining demons and the back up reapers. William stood in front of his lover protectively and took out a few lesser demons as he guided him out, but he was distracted for a moment and one got past him, going straight for Timothy.

Snake gasped and held out his claws, only to have them meet with air, as the demon tackled him, tearing into him with flashing claws and teeth, his scale-covered skin being stripped away from his arms and chest.

"NO!" William yelled and fell upon the demon attacking his lover. With his attention turned, he, too was attacked, but he ignored it as much as he could. His vision almost went red as he dragged the demon off Timothy and stabbed it repeatedly, rending it limb from limb for attacking his lover. Once it was dispatched, he turned to the demon attacking him, only to see it's head be lopped off and Eric dashing away to attack yet another demon. Will immediately stooped to gather Snake into his arms, wincing at the horrible wounds he now had. He was bleeding badly and he wasn't healing fast enough.

"Tim..." he said as calmly as he could, brushing bloody strands of hair out of his face. "Come on, Timothy..."

The young man lay limp in his lover's arms, wide, scared eyes looking up at William as if he was having troubles focusing them, his mouth hanging open and exposing his long fangs, "Will-m…D-Dani…"

The reaper lifted Timothy gently and rolled up his sleeve, trying to get to one of the gashes on his arm. He was trembling slightly and couldn't work open the button on his cuff. Frustrated, he lifted his lover further and cradled his head against his shoulder to put his mouth near a cut on his neck.

"Drink," he said softly. "Please..."

"You're…hurt t-t—" He began, but the feel of blood on his lips cut him off, his eyes glowing with need as his instincts took over and he began to lap up the blood until the cut offered no more. Still in need, he shifted and bit down hard into his lover's neck, drinking in the blood that began to flow into his mouth greedily.

William sighed with relief when he felt Timothy drinking. He was worried he'd fight it, but fortunately he did not. He hissed then gasped softly when he felt Snake's teeth sink into his skin. It stung and burned a bit, but he could stand it. William knew he was going to feel faint after this, but he'd recover.

As he slowly regained strength, Snake's arms wrapped around William as he drank.

Behind them, a reaper cut through a demon once more and caught sight of Snake feeding off William; "Boss!" he charged with the intent to save the supervisor.

William was feeling a bit hazy, but he clearly heard one of his subordinates call out for him. He turned his attention to the reaper charging towards them and held out a hand to stop him, "No. He is not hurting me," he said as he shook his head very slightly, his breathing a bit labored. "H-He's on our side."

"But…Sir, he's a demon…and leaching off you." He gasped, watching as Timothy bit down into William again to draw out even more blood; seemingly unaware of the scene around him.

"Do not question me," William ordered with a steady gaze, though he winced slightly as Tim bit down again. "This is entirely willing. Take care of the rest of the demons."

"But, he's a _demon_. It's dangerous what you are doing."

"I don't care. I will not let him suffer, let alone die," William snapped.

"He's just a demon!"

"He is _not_ just a demon," William said lowly. "He is only half and he is _my_ mate. Your concern is understandable, but watch your tongue! I will join the battle again once he is stable."

The reaper's eyes widened, but he backed off, leaving the two alone.

Snake drained William a few minutes longer before pulling back, licking the blood from his lips.

William sighed when Timothy finally released him. He felt very dizzy, and though the fight seemed mostly over now, he was determined to help his men. He moved to stand and immediately fell to his knees.

"W-William!" Snake gasped, catching him, "I…I took too much…?"

The reaper shook his head and tried to stand again, but couldn't summon the strength.

"H-how are you feeling?" he panted and his neck ached badly where Snake had bitten him.

"Better…still tired and weak…I'm sorry I took so much! I couldn't stop…"

"..No, no, it's fine," he said, still feeling very shaky. "As long as...as you..."

Will couldn't finish his sentence before there was an awful burning sting in his neck and his eyes rolled up before he blacked out, crumpling in a heap.

"William!" Panicking, Snake looked up and Spotted Eric, "M-Mister Eric!"

Eric had been conducting orders when he heard Timothy's voice.

"Hey, Tim, what's-Oh bloody hell!" the blond cursed when he spotted William on the ground. "What the hell happened?"

"T-took too much…" he cried, "I hurt him!"

"Wait, wait, what? What do ya mean?" Eric asked, looking over the supervisor. The man looked deathly pale and he had a few gashes on his arms and shoulders, but the wounds weren't bad enough to warrant that paleness. But he did have one hell of a hickey on his neck..."What did ya do, Tim?"

"…I…I got hurt…t-too hurt and he..he told me to drink…like he normally makes me…and then…I…I couldn't stop and…" he trailed off, crying, "Please help him!"

"Drink?" Eric asked, noting the bit of crimson at the corner of Snake's mouth...combined with the hickey and bite wound on Will's neck, Eric put two and two together. He reached out and felt for a pulse. Of course, William wasn't breathing, his pulse was weak, but he was definitely alive.

"Alright, alright. It's okay, Tim," Eric said calmly. "He's just down for the count. He ain't dead or dyin'. He jus' needs ta rest. Come on. Come with me," he said as he scooped William's limp body into his arms. "If anyone asks, Tim, he got hurt in this fight. You didn't do it, okay?"

"But…I did…I don't like lies…" he said, weakly straightening up and reaching out to steady himself by using Eric's shoulder. He took Will's scythe and used it as a crutch.

Eric was about to argue with the young man but he sighed as he watched Snake struggle a bit.

"Hey, kiddo. Come on. Hop on my back. I can carry ya both," he said as he crouched a bit to let Timothy climb on his back.

Timothy blinked in surprise, but moved over to cling to his back, his tail and legs already starting to separate which made it easier.

Once he had the young half-demon on his back, he headed back to the reaper realm.

"Tim, you can say a demon did this to him, but you gotta trust me when I say you can't tell anyone it was you. Not everyone is as understandin' as us and they won't take kindly to even a half-blood having done this to our supervisor, okay? I don't care 'cos I know the boss probably made you do it an' it's his own damn fault. But he'll be pissed if someone else saw it the wrong way and said or did somethin' to you because of it, you know? So for Will, don't say it was you."

"But…but someone saw me…" he muttered, tightening his hold on Eric, "I…don't know who, but…But Will was talking to them…They know I hurt him!"

"Yeah, well, you looked mighty different then. You might be able to scrape by. Besides, Will is a fair boss and never asks for anythin'. I think me an' Al might be able ta persuade the reaper who saw to let it go."

Snake fell silent and bit his lip, "I didn't mean to take too much…"

"I know ya didn't," Eric said, trying to give Timothy a reassuring smile. "He ain't gonna die from a bit of blood loss. Might get a headache, but he ain't gonna die."

He sped along to the infirmary and handed Will over to the doctors telling them he'd been bitten and drained by a demon. Of course he had them take a look at Snake to take care of his remaining wounds.

After Snake had been bandaged up, he rushed over to William's side, ignoring the protests of the doctors, "Is he okay?"

One doctor put a hand on Timothy's shoulder.

"Son, he's going to be out for a while," she said gently. "You can stay with him if you promise not to get in our way, alright?"

Timothy nodded and stood off to the side against the wall, but still next to the bed, reaching out to stroke his hair.

* * *

 

The doctors continued to work on William a bit. There wasn't much they could do other than give him fluids, dress his wounds, and monitor him. Soon, it was just Timothy at his side and William slowly began to wake up. His eyelids fluttered as he groaned softly.

"William!" Snake hurried over to take his lover's hand, "I'm sorry…"

"...Tim?" he asked tiredly, squinting up at the source of the voice. "What are you sorry for?"

"T-Took too much…now you are hurting…"he pouted.

William blinked groggily at Timothy, "...No. It's alright," he said tiredly. "I wanted you to heal."

"But now you are hurt…because of me." he said, "I should have stopped…"

"You didn't know what you were doing," William said with a shake of his head. "You needed it."

"Still…" Snake reached out and touched the bite mark, "I…was no better than the other demons…the way I bit you…."

William took his lover's hand and squeezed gently.

"Don't ever say that. You are far better than they are. I wanted you to drink and you obviously needed to. This is just a temporary state, Timothy. I will be well again soon enough."

"But you don't look good…" he slipped onto the bed and curled up around William, "…you even smell different…"

William lifted his arm to allow his lover to snuggle closer.

"Do I? I don't feel any different," William said softly. "My neck hurts, but you were biting a bit hard..."

"…Sorry…" he muttered, leaning in and kissing his neck.

"Stop apologizing, Timothy," William said gently. "I offered myself to your needs. I have no regrets or ill feelings towards you. You look much better than before."

"But I don't want to hurt you! I…I still don't even want to have to drink blood…yours or anyone's."

"But the truth is that you must," William said softly. "No amount of wishing or denial is going to change that. I do not mind helping you this way. It is part of keeping you by my side..."

Timothy shook his head, "I want to find another way." He said in a soft voice, "I don't want to risk hurting you more…"

"If we can find another way, that's fine. But I would rather this happened to me than anyone else. I would be a bit upset if you marked anyone else this way," he teased as he reached up to touch his tender neck.

"Just…Just get better…" he sniffled, hugging him and kissing his neck, "I'm going to be sorry until you are strong again."

"Shh," he said softly as he stroked Timothy's hair and kissed over his eyes. "You and Dani are everything to me. This is nothing. I will be well and home before you know it," he said reassuringly.

"Promise?" he asked a little childishly.

"I promise," William whispered into Snake's white locks.

* * *

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, had planned on ending this with chapter 20 as a wrap-up chapter, but decided to give you a few bonus! Chapters before we wrap things up. So if this felt kind of sudden-that's why XD


	21. Chapter 21

As he had promised, Will was discharged from the hospital soon after. He'd had blood work done and while some minor abnormalities had been found, it was not enough to cause worry. It was ruled out to be sample error.

Life resumed as usual. William went to work and Timothy stayed home with the baby. But Will was finding that though he was quite content in his home life, he was starting to become quite irritated easily at work. It began with small things. He'd snap if someone handed in reports late and he was quicker to assign overtime, but it could have just been attributed to a weakened tolerance to stress. He noted that whenever he did start to get angry, a strange itching would start at his neck, but it would stop once he began to calm...and Timothy seemed to be the only one capable of truly calming him anymore.

A light knock sounded at William's office door and Ronald stepped in, holding a folder with red ink on it, "Sir…Grell-senpai asked me to turn this in to you for him since I was passing your office anyway…"

Will looked up at the knock, his eye twitching slightly as he was attempting to get his reports done for the day so he could go home and be with Timothy. "If it is his end of day, that report was due two hours ago!" he snapped, then shook his head. "My apologies. It is not your doing," he said getting up and walking over to Ron to take the folder. "Is your end of day report ready to turn in as well?"

"Uh…Not yet…I just got back from a collection I picked up for Al. he had another attack right before he was supposed to leave…" Ronald explained, "I should have them done soon."

William's eyebrow twitched more severely when Ron said he did not have his report ready. His neck began to itch slightly, but he bit his tongue when he logically knew it was permissible. He had been covering for Alan, and Alan could not control his attacks. He had to clench his jaw to keep from barking at Ron, but he managed to swallow it down.

"That's fine. See that you hand them in as soon as possible and give Alan my best," he said, looking back down to his paperwork before he was given a chance to think further and possibly magnify his growing irritation.

Ronald nodded, "Thank you, sir…" he said, hurrying out to return to his own work. He didn't know why, but lately, William had seemed even more unapproachable than he had been before he and Timothy had gotten together, and he had no desire to be around the man. No one did.

As William worked, almost feverishly in order to get done, it almost seemed as if his irritation wouldn't go away. The more it stewed in his own mind, the worse it got...No other reapers came in, but there came a tapping at his window. He knew it was a carrier pigeon with a message, but he only had ONE more report left to look over and he could leave. Just one.

The tapping continued and Will tried to concentrate on the report as best he could. But the tapping grew louder. His eye twitched in irritation as his neck began to itch. And still, the bird tapped, wanting inside. The itching, the tapping, the stupid report, all of it became unbearable and before he realized it he was standing at the window...but it was open, and in his clenched fist was the bloody mutilated corpse of the pigeon. He gasped and dropped it, jumping away from the window wondering when and how he'd gotten there. What the hell just happened? And why wasn't he afraid? Why was looking at the small amount of blood on his hand making him… _hungry_?

A shiver of fear finally ran up his spine as he knelt down to scoop up the bird and set it outside the window. He honestly could not think of what else to do with it...it had no message. It had come to him to be fed...With a sigh he shut the window and hurriedly wiped off his hand deciding that was it, he needed to go home whether his work was finished or not. Maybe it was all the stress lately? But it was no more than usual...So why had he done that?

Not wanting to think on it more, he headed straight home to Timothy.

* * *

 

Timothy was sitting in the kitchen, Daniel sitting up in his highchair, grinning happily as he was fed some mashed apples which had quickly became his favorite food once he was old enough for things other than milk.

William came through the door and brushed the dirt of the road off his jacket before hanging it up. His neck hadn't stopped itching and he was practically twitching with the need to get to Timothy. He tried to keep himself calm by keeping to routine, but once his jacket was hung, he dashed into the kitchen and immediately wrapped around around his lover. The relief was almost instant and he sighed.

Snake blinked in surprise, holding the tiny spoon of applesauce out, just out of their son's reach, causing Daniel to whine from being kept from his treat.

"…Hard day at work?" Timothy asked, glancing up at his lover.

William merely nodded and nuzzled against Snake's neck until he heard Dani's noise of protest. He looked up and released Timothy to allow him to feed the baby.

"It was just...I'm not sure," he said, rubbing at his neck.

"You aren't sure?" Snake gave Daniel the bite of applesauce before turning to look at his lover, "How—" his eyes widened and he dropped the baby spoon, paying it no mind as it clattered to the floor.

William gave Tim a confused expression as he stooped down to pick up the spoon, "Are you alright?"

Timothy didn't respond, only reaching out, his fingertips running over a small, irritated patch of skin. At first glance, it had looked like a rash, but Snake knew better. He had seen it many times before.

As he grew up, he'd develop more patches of snake skin, and it always looked like a rash. And until the skin it was replacing was shed; it'd itch. And now, William was getting that same rash.

Like his skin was a contagious condition…

Infected.

He had infected his lover…

William was startled by his lover's expression and the touch to his neck. "What is the matter, Timothy? It is only a rash..."

Timothy shook his head, "But...it's not..." he whispered, "I...I've had the same thing..." his lip trembled, "I'm sorry!"

The reaper shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand. What is the matter? The rash?"

"It's not a rash…" Snake said, shaking his head and withdrawing his fingers to press them against his own scaly cheek, "Scales."

"...Scales?" William asked, blinking. He backed away slowly, pressing fingers to his neck and ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror. The skin of his neck was red and irritated and indeed was slightly raised...vaguely like scales...but...how?

Snake picked up Daniel from his chair, though the baby protested that he wasn't done eating, and followed William to the bathroom, a guilty, worried look on his face, 'I-I'm sorry! I…I don't know how but…it...it has to be my fault…"

William looked over his shoulder at Timothy.

"You can't blame yourself if you do not even know what it is," he said with a shake of his head. "Perhaps your father might know."

"But I do know! As I grew older I got that rash each time I got a new patch of scales…"

"B-But, it's impossible-! I can't-!" William shook his head to try and clear it, but to little success. His heart was pounding in his ears from a growing fear he did not want to be true. He was not prone to panic, but he'd been a bit unstable lately and this was not helping to allay his worried heart.

Snake flinched, holding Daniel closer to his chest, "I…I'm sorry…"

"No, it-it is not your fault," he practically snapped. He winced and pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath. Why was it so hard to keep his nerves from fraying? Why was every little thing irritating him? Now even Timothy, his one bit of solace? "No, I'm sorry...just..." he sighed heavily, "I don't know what to do," he finished weakly.

The young half-demon backed away slightly at being snapped at, looking down, shamefully, "Father…father said he'd be busy in Hell for a while…but…maybe Black could help you?" he suggested timidly.

William felt cold guilt squeezing his heart seeing Timothy look so downtrodden because of him. He moved to kneel in front of him, taking his hand and pressing his forehead to it.

"I'm sorry, Timothy...I am not myself right now..." he said softly. "Perhaps I will contact Mr. Michaelis on this matter..."

Snake nodded, "We…we should see him soon…we don't know if this is dangerous for you…"

"Yes...you're right. Perhaps tonight even if he is not too busy..." he said with a slightly shaky voice. "Please, I do not want to risk losing my temper with you, so stay here with Dani and I will go to see Sebastian..."

Again, the young man nodded, biting his lip.

William gathered his wits yet again and left to go call on the butler, hoping he would not be intruding.

* * *

 

The Phantomhive manor was lit up as Ciel entertained a small gathering of guests. Lau, Undertaker and the young earl were busy with a game of pool as Ran-mao lay draped over a chair in a suggestive manor, silently watching the game.

Sebastian poured each guest and his master a cup of tea, handing them out and calmly putting the tea tray away before excusing himself with a bow, taking a few dishes to the kitchen to be cleaned. He paused, feeling the familiar presence of a reaper. He gave a sigh and set the dishes in the sink before opening the door of the servant's entrance to greet William, "Good evening, Spears…I had almost thought you would be the annoying red subordinate of yours as I did not sense young Snake with you." He stepped aside to allow William in, "I'm afraid I've not much time, but if you need anything I shall try to help quickly." Sebastian added, rolling up his sleeves and setting his tail-coat aside as he started on the dishes.

"Yes, thank you," William said, doing his best to keep his fluttering heart calm and decided to get right to the point. "The matter is actually with myself. I have this strange rash upon my neck that seems to manifest when I am particularly irritated. It is where Timothy had fed several weeks ago and he believes it to be a patch of scales...but that cannot possibly be true, correct?"

Sebastian paused in his task, "…Snake would know better than I. I am but a crow. He is the serpent." He glanced over his shoulder at William, drying his hands and walking over and placing his hands on William's shoulders, guiding him back to sit on a bench as he stooped down to examine the rash, "But I can tell you things on a deeper level. Tell me, what form was our young prince in when he fed, and how much did he take?" he asked, running his fingers over the rash.

He knew Sebastian could probably hear his heart hammering in his chest as anxiety raced through his veins.

"He was half serpent at the time and he nearly drained me..." he said quietly, his voice quavering the slightest bit.

"Well, I won't ask why he took so much or why he was transformed, Spears, But if he says the rash is scales starting to form, then I would trust him on that if I were you." He backed up, crossing his arms, "I told him to be careful…" he muttered, more to himself.

Fixing red eyes on William, the butler held no trace of amusement, "You say it acts up when you get irritated? I assume you act out in anger. In which case, it sounds as if Wrath is your deadliest sin. The more you give into it, the faster you'll see yourself change. You've become infected, Spears, Snake has bitten you while in his strongest form, and his demonic genes are killing off your reaper genes. You are turning into a demon, and there is no cure. I suggest leaving dispatch before your kin finds out. Reapers don't like demons, after all. And I imagine a demon with detailed knowledge over the inner workings of reaper society simply would not be tolerated."

William was frozen. He had forgotten to breathe and mouthed the words _'No cure_?'. He blinked and shook his head, "...No. It has to be something else..."

"Demon genes are very dominate, Spears, and you were bitten by a transformed snake demon. He may be only half demon himself, but he bit you and you are already giving into your greatest sin. Already showing signs of your transformation. The reaper William T. Spears is dying, murdered by his lover. And a new William is being born, created by that same lover. Welcome to Hell. Enjoy your stay."

William shot a hateful glare at Sebastian, "Do not mock me, demon," he growled, his anger instantly flaring.

"Temper, Spears." The demon smirked, "I know you don't like the idea, but there is no changing it. You came to me for help. I gave it to you."

William sneered and bit the inside of his lip to calm his temper, "You- You are correct in that...and I thank you. I apologize..." he said tiredly. "But, there has to be a way...I cannot _not_ be a reaper, I-"

But his words were cut short when the gravity of it all came crashing down upon him all at once. He was becoming one of the creatures he so loathed...he might have to feed on the very souls he'd sworn to protect...his promise, his duty, the very fabric of his existence was compromised. He'd given his soul to this duty for the sake of his sister, and now he might have to—

He was nauseated and covered his mouth and clutched his stomach, cinching his eyes shut tight as he tried to fight it down. It took him a few moments to gather himself again and he blinked several times, looking over to Sebastian, "Thank you again," he said softly, obviously a bit dazed. "I'll be on my way," he said as he headed for the door back outside.

"Don't take it out on the young prince. He's an emotionally fragile thing, and for what-ever reason, he's fallen for you. You could hurt him more than anyone else ever could." Sebastian said as he watched the changing reaper leave.

William barely heard Sebastian's words, but he understood. He truly did. Timothy wasn't exactly...strong. He'd been through so much already, having to deal with William, this would not be an easy thing for either of them to bear. But how was he to cope with this? What was he to do? He could not, _not_ be a reaper...the more he thought about it the more his mind began to panic and he was having an incredibly difficult time coming to grips with reality. He could not bring this to Tim...It was Will's duty to take care of him, not the other way around, but who could he talk to? Who could he possibly turn to? Unable to bring to mind anyone, he wandered aimlessly for several hours trying to puzzle through it all and find some sort of answer.

* * *

 

"You've been walking in circles around my shop for hours now. Why don't you come in already and have some tea and briskets?" a curious voice cracked with a chuckle cut through the silent streets. The Undertaker leaning in the open doorway of his shop.

William looked up at the sound of the voice, and he looked around completely surprised to find himself in that part of town, "Wha-? Oh...no, sir, I..." he said a bit distractedly. It was not like him at all to be this scatterbrained, but seeing as he still could find any solution in his still strangely panicked brain, he hadn't truly been able to calm himself. What could Undertaker help anyway? But, then again...what could it hurt? He was much older than Will and a former reaper...However, he was quite reluctant to share his troubles with anyone. He was and always had been self-reliant when it came to matters of himself. For those he cared about, he would scour the minds of any and all he knew for solutions...but for himself...he simply did not have the same courage. He'd prefer to keep to himself and not bother anyone. But, this was something quite different... Something that was making him desperate and ill both in body and heart.

"No tea, then. Come inside." The older reaper insisted, "If anything, to keep a lonely old man company." He smiled.

William mulled over it for a moment or two longer, then looked to the elder. It would be rude to refuse since the man had done so much for him and Timothy in the past and he did not necessarily need to speak of this particular issue...

"Very well then, sir," William said softly as he headed towards the shop.

"Ah~ Good, good." The silver reaper grinned, ushering William into the shop, "Have a seat, my dear."

William, not quite having the energy to be his usual difficult self, not even offering an apology for intrusion, moved to sit on one of the many caskets still quite wrapped up in his own head.

"Should you change your mind on the tea, please do say something." Undertaker smiled, hopping up onto a coffin, "What's on your mind, my dear? Trouble at work, or at home?"

Propriety demanded that he deny there was anything wrong. He would only be troubling his host if he laid out his problems...however… "I...I am quite at a loss," William admitted, his voice sounding small and weak. He cleared his throat and sat up straight to cover. "What I mean to say is...trouble has arisen and I am not sure how to deal with it, sir."

"One can assume another is at a loss when he is unknowingly playing ring-around-the-morgue." Undertaker nodded, "You can speak to me about anything. I'll be happy to help, my dear. Free of charge this time."

"I am actually quite...terrified," William admitted, his hand moving to rub at his neck. Then, remembering what was there, he drew his hand away and stared at his palm a bit forlornly. "I don't know if I can even explain it properly," he said looking away. "Can I trust you to keep a dire secret, sir?"

"William, look at who you are talking to. How do you think I get away with half the stuff I do?" he smirked.

"...True," William agreed, then was silent in thought for a moment, almost afraid to speak it aloud to another soul in case that made it true. "...Apparently I have been infected by a demon and will soon become one," he said softly, feeling strangely numb as the words left his lips.

"Ah, trouble at home and at work then." The usually giggly man sighed and slid closer to William, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Was it your lover, or was it some other demon?"

William sighed and pressed his face in his hands, the terror of the situation taking hold again. He hadn't felt this scared or lost since he was a child and it was incredibly disheartening.

"Timothy...but it was not intentional on his part," he said with a heavy sigh. "I cannot face him like this..."

"So, he isn't aware of your change?" the man frowned, "You must tell him."

"I must know what I am to do with myself first," William said shaking his head and taking to his feet to pace. "I don't even know where to begin. This cannot be happening to me! It can't! I cannot become one of _them_! I am a reaper! I chose this existence, dedicated my soul to it! I gave up everything I was to walk this path! I can't-!" He was breathing hard and fast as the words spewed from his mouth, "What am I if not a reaper?" he asked brokenly.

"Why, you are one of 'them', as you put it. The same type of being as your young lover who, no doubt, worries about you. The same type of immortal being as your son. You are entering their world. It was bound to happen, after all. You are not the first reaper to be turned, and you'll not be the last."

He turned and tapped William on the nose to grab his full attention, "You gave up much to become a reaper. Is it so bad for you to give up your reaper job to be with your family? Hadn't family been the reason you became a reaper to begin with, my dear?"

"...Yes...it was, but...this is very different, sir," William said with a shake of his head, appreciating the elder's attempt to make him see the logical side of things. "I was risking no one but myself when I chose this path. What if I must consume souls to live? I would rather die," he said very seriously. "I could never forgive myself, nor would I even wish to live on if I was responsible for destroying a mortal soul. In the deepest parts of me, it is a sacred honor and a privilege to guard them from harm, to see them to their destination...if dedicated reapers like myself did not exist, what would have happened to my loved ones when they died? Mortals may not know what it is reapers do for them exactly, but because one was there to guard my parents, my sister, myself, we were able to move on safely. I owe that comfort to all the mortal souls I am tasked to collect...If I do not hold onto that, then, I am no better than the scum that killed my parents and ruined my and my sister's lives..."

He was more speaking aloud as if to get it all off his chest, but the more he spoke, the more desperate and sorrowful his voice grew.

"And if Wrath is to be what dictates what sort of creature I become, then I would rather die than subject Timothy and Daniel to an eternity of being afraid of me..." he sighed heavily, his voice growing tight and breaking slightly as a tear escaped at the very thought of leaving his true love and his son behind.

"…Tea it is. Something calming…Ah! Perfect." Undertaker said, moving into the kitchen area and prepping to make tea, "My dear, let me ask you a few things, and I want you to think about them, not simply say what impulse dictates."

He gathered a pair of cleaned beakers and set them aside, "If your beloved Timothy had to take souls, would you have stopped him? Would you have left him? What of your son? What if he grows to need souls? And if you find yourself needing souls, could you truly leave your family alone without you for eternity just because you refuse to feed? There is a balance to all things, my dear. Demons do not choose to consume souls. They must. Once a soul is created, it never truly dies. It is reborn as other things. However, new souls are constantly being created. Without a way to destroy some, we'd be over-run in each of the four realms. Things would be thrown into chaos. Think of souls as Rabbits. They multiply quickly, spreading over their fields and marshes, consuming the plant-life. If there were no predators, no coyotes, or wolves to feed upon the rabbits once in a while, soon the habitat would be over capacity and the whole ecosystem would be compromised. Plant life would die out, and the rabbits, which you so wished to protect from the wolves, would die out anyway. It may not be fair that Rabbit A should live while Rabbit B should die, but it is the laws of nature even God, Satan, and the Higher could never change.

"Also, you seem so worried about wrath being your sin. There are worse things, my dear. All beings, mortal and immortal, have that one deadly sin that they are most guilty of. If wrath is yours, it has always been yours. And Dear Timothy has one as well, as does your son, and myself. We all have ways of dealing with our inner demons. Right now, yours is exaggerated simply because your body is stressed beyond its limit as you change. Your grasp of control on your wrath is compromised because of it. Once your body settles into it's new state, you will have control over it once more. Trust me. I've seen this happen before. Only, his was lust." The man chuckled, "It was a bit easy for me to help him with such things…I wonder how he has faired these last couple hundred years or so…"

Shaking his head, Undertaker poured the tea into the beakers and walked over, handing one to William, "I suggest calming teas and relaxation techniques, such as warm baths. Timothy will understand. You need to protect him, yes, but let him protect you. A relationship is a two-way-street, my dear, and if anyone can help you through this, it is him."

William took to heart what the elder told him. He did have several very valid points, but he still could not see himself consuming a soul. The very idea was making him ill again, "I would never deny Timothy or Dani what they need, but I fear I could never bring myself to do the same...the guilt and loathing I would feel for myself would greatly outweigh hunger..." he said softly, looking down into his tea. "And I fear I cannot bring this to Timothy. I am to take care of him, not the other way around..." Feeling particularly depressed, he wanted to change the topic slightly, if only to keep himself from breaking down entirely on the spot, "Who was it you helped?"

"My old partner. He saved my life, but was bitten by a spider demon in the process. It certainly made me rethink a few things." Undertaker said, "But this isn't about the old skeletons in an old reaper's closet. You say you would never deny your family what they need…but what they need most is you. A lover, a father. However. You are most likely in luck because it _was_ your lover who infected you, and not another. He only needs to feed on Blood, yes? As you take your demonic genes from him, you likely will also only need blood. Same as the son you two created together. Your demonic genes can be no more over-bearing as his. And don't," he tapped the younger male on the nose with his long nail, "Make me tell you again, he is to take care of you just as much as you are to do with him. He may not be the strongest of demons, but he has a strong heart. You can trust him to help you through this."

"Even if I am fortunate to only need to feed on blood, I will still-This does not help me figure out what I am to do with myself...Everything I have been is...dying," he said, his voice cracking again and he had to swallow hard to stop tears from spilling. "What did your partner do?"

"Only in body. You, your feelings, your personality…that is all your soul, which you keep. It is the same soul you had as a human, and it'll be your same soul you have as a demon. My partner was much like you. He wept the first time he took a soul, and last I heard, he turned to contracting so he could only consume souls when he needed them. To stop the cravings for taking more than his fair share."

He nodded and bit his lip, knowing perfectly well that the man was right. So long as he could control the wrath within him, he would be the same in spirit...but he still couldn't help but be terrified.

"I cannot let Timothy see me this way. He will only blame himself when it was my doing. I forced him to feed...and it brought about this. I wanted to save him...but I don't want this..." he said lowly and hoarsely, removing his glasses and covering his eyes.

"He'll see you eventually. And if not, then he'll wonder why you left him. I know this is hard, but focusing on your family will help."

"I do not wish to leave him...But I cannot bring such a heavy burden to him. I must find my answers without troubling him over this. If I went to him, he would be just as lost and it would only scare him. I cannot and will not let him see me be fearful, or worse yet, broken, but speaking to you is easing some of this..." he said with a heavy sigh and a poorly hidden sniffle. He cleared his throat and tried to be as objective as possible. "What am I to do about the Dispatch? Do I simply disappear before I am hunted down?"

"Retire while you have the time to. That will give you the chance to disappear. If you simply stop going to work, they'll start an investigation."

It just then struck William that he would also have to leave behind Eric, Alan, Ron, and Grell...if they knew his whereabouts, it could cause trouble for them. Just when he was gaining an extended family, he would have to leave them... That was what finally broke him. A sob finally escaped his throat as he finally allowed himself to mourn everything he was losing and the tears he'd been stubbornly holding back spilled.

Undertaker frowned, having not expected such a display of the man. He fished out a handkerchief and offered it to him, "I know this is hard, my dear, and I am truly sorry you are going through this."

William shook his head and pulled his own handkerchief out of his pocket, quite embarrassed by the circumstances. He took a few moments to let the tears flow, to get them out of his system as he drew in calming breaths to calm himself down again, "I-I'm sorry, sir, I did not, mean to..."

"Not at all. But I do stand by my suggestion of talking to your young lover about this. It is as much his problem as it is yours."

"I know...and I understand. But only when I am completely in control of myself again. Thank you for speaking to me about this, sir. I honestly do appreciate it," William said straightening up.

"Go to your family. I'm sure your lover is worried about you. It is quite late, after all."

William nodded, "Sir...if I need to...talk again, may I come to you?"

"My dear, my door is always open." The man chuckled, "Unless, of course, it is closed, but you may open it regardless."

"Thank you, sir," he said with a grateful nod. He finally stepped outside and headed back towards home, not entirely sure how he was going to present all of this to his young lover. It was quite a lot to take in and while he had calmed now that he had a slightly better idea what he was to do, the fear and nausea still tugged at him...The last thing he wanted was for Timothy to blame himself, which he no doubt would, and the only way he could assure him otherwise would be if he could accept it himself...And he knew he still could not. Still, with all of his heart, he did not want this. He did not want to become a different creature. He did not want to give up his entire existence as he had come to know it...And it was that insecurity that made him take a little longer before finally coming home. By the time he arrived, he had come to the conclusion that it did not matter what he wanted. He could not prevent it and no matter how frightened he still was, he could not let it show to Timothy. He would have to suffer it alone until he could fully come to grips with it, and he would. He had to.

He steeled himself as he stepped through the door.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	22. Chapter 22

Daniel had been long put to bed and Snake stayed up, waiting for William to return. The seconds, minutes, hours ticked by slowly as he waited, growing worried as he watched the clock upon the mantle. The flames in the fireplace dieing down to dark embers. He had gotten a blanket and curled up in it, cocooning himself into it's warmth and leaving only his tired, worried face showing as he sat on the couch, golden gaze turned towards the door.

William entered the house as quietly as possible, knowing that Tim and the baby would likely be asleep at such a late hour. He carefully closed the door behind him and was quite surprised when he saw Timothy sitting on the couch all wrapped up in a blanket.

"Timothy? What are you still doing up?" he asked softly as he walked over to join his lover on the couch.

"I…I was worried about you…So I waited." He dropped the blanket from around his upper half and flung himself onto his lover, hugging him, "What…What did Black say?"

"I apologize for worrying you," he said softly as he took Snake into his arms and kissed the top of his head. "Mr. Michaelis diagnosed that I am becoming demonic," he said softly, but a bit detached. If he kept emotion out of it, then he could talk about it. "The news was quite disorienting and I needed some time to think."

Snake's eyes widened, "Y-you…?" his eyes flickered to the rash on Will's neck, "…It's my fault…I did it to you…"

"No. It was my fault, Timothy," William said as he shook his head. "I did not wish for you to die and so I forced you to feed upon me," he said softly. "You cannot blame yourself for this and I do not regret giving you what you needed."

"But…but you hate demons… and now you are going to be one…because of me…" he glanced down, "Can…you stop it?"

Will was silent for a moment. "It cannot be stopped."

"…I'm sorry…" Timothy breathed, "I never wanted to…"

"I know. And that is I why I do not blame you, Timothy," he said as he lifted his lover's chin to catch his eyes. "This is simply something we must learn to live with, no matter how difficult it will be."

He nodded, hugging William tighter, "I…I'll help you…if you need anything…"

"I honestly might need your help, Timothy," William sighed. He did not wish to frighten his young lover, but Undertaker had been right...a relationship was a two way street and if they could share the burden, there was less of a chance of one of them breaking over it. "This is incredibly difficult for me. It...frightens me," he finally admitted.

"I know…" Snake's arms tightened around him in a protective manor, "I know it's scary to suddenly become something new…"

"And I apologize ahead of time if I do or say something that may hurt you...I do not know what to expect and Mr. Michaelis suspects a large influence upon me will be the sin of Wrath which would explain my trouble controlling my temper as of late...Please do not ever doubt that you and Daniel are the most important things in my life."

"I can help." He said softly, I'll help calm you if you get angry."

"There is much more we must do before this change is final. I must immediately retire, we must sell the house, and we must go into hiding...I am deeply sorry for this, but if the Dispatch knew one of their own had become demonic...It is simply another party we must worry about. We must cut ties with the friends we've gained and I haven't the slightest clue where we shall go..."

Snake's eyes widened, "We…we have to leave?"

William nodded solemnly, "Yes. We must. If we wish to live in relative peace and safety, we have to..."

Timothy looked down, "…I finally had a real home…we were happy…"

Seeing Timothy look so sad made Will's heart ache and it also made a bit of anger flare up in him...not at Timothy, but at himself, "I am sorry I have failed you," he said lowly. "But I will try to make you happy elsewhere though there is not much I can give."

Snake shook his head, "It's not your fault. We have to, to stay safe and to keep Dani safe…"

"I know, and I will do everything I can to make this easy...I simply do not know what I will do with myself..."

"You need to not stress. I'll help." He whispered, "I helped cause this…I can help make it better."

William sighed and rested his forehead against Timothy's.

"...Thank you...Does it bother you that I will change so drastically?"

He shook his head, "You won't. I didn't…You are still my William…You are still Dani's father."

"I hope I will be..." he said softly. "I honestly do not know what I am if not a reaper...I am afraid I will lose myself in more than just that."

"You won't be! You'll still be you." In attempt to comfort his lover, Snake drew him into a kiss.

Slightly surprised by Timothy's boldness, his eyes widened slightly, but the kiss was comforting nonetheless and he melted into it. Slowly, he wrapped arms around Snake, squeezing tighter and tighter, trying to hold on to the one thing that he knew he was sure of anymore.

Timothy gave a small hum and pulled back, just enough to look up into William's eyes, reaching up to brush a stray hair back, "Even…even if you yell at me…I'll be here for you. I won't leave."

"...I'll do my best not to subject you to that," he said softly, resting his forehead against Timothy's. "I could not fathom not having you in my life."

"You won't have to. I'll never leave you. Dani and I are staying by your side. I…I was lonely before you came and got me…I don't want you to be lonely like I had been."

"I was very lonely, too. I just hadn't realized it," he said, bringing Timothy's hand to his lips. "I am still absolutely terrified of what is going to happen, but with you and Daniel...I think I can make it through this."

"You have to! We need you, William." Snake muttered softly.

"Then I will...I promise," he said, nuzzling Snake's hair.

"It's late…Come to bed, we can figure things out in the morning…you look tired and stressed."

William nodded softly. "I would like a shower first. It has been a very trying day."

Snake nodded, "I'll wait for you in our room…"

Will parted from Timothy to soak in the shower. He scrubbed his skin hard as if that might wash away the change that was to come...he was no longer feeling quite comfortable in his own skin. Once he was out, he wrapped a towel around his waist and wandered into the bedroom, drying off his hair.

Timothy was sitting up in bed, waiting for his lover. He flipped the covers back for him, blushing slightly.

William finished drying off and only pulled on his pajama bottoms. Putting on a shirt might irritate his neck more and he wanted to sleep... He went to the baby's room and gave Daniel a gentle kiss on the head to say goodnight without waking him, then he came back and slid under the sheets with a heavy sigh.

"It'll be okay…" Snake said gently, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips, "Maybe…we can set up a home again someplace else?"

"That is my hope," William said with a soft nod, though his heart still felt heavy. He was still quite out of sorts, and though Timothy's presence comforted him, it could only do so much.

Timothy nodded and simply continued to press kisses into William's skin, his cheek, jaw, neck, trying to sooth his lover and help him relax.

William closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the soft sensation of Timothy's lips. He was being incredibly sweet and amazingly calm and supportive despite the stressful situation now upon them. He lifted a hand to run fingers through that soft white hair he loved so much and he felt a bit of the tightness in his chest release.

* * *

 

The next morning, Snake woke up early, quietly moving into the kitchen to start breakfast. Normally, William would make breakfast, but he wanted William to be as relaxed as possible. Making a calming tea rather than coffee to go with the pancakes he made.

William had a hard time waking that morning. Timothy had disappeared and the absence of his comforting warmth made Will feel cold...too cold...normally he'd wake with Emily or Oscar or one of the many other serpents curled up against him for warmth, but the bed was utterly empty. He was finding it incredibly hard to focus and he stumbled out of bed, shivering hard. He hated being cold. But it seemed to be worse than usual. He grumbled under his breath and stumbled over to the bathroom. He splashed water on his face to try and wake himself a bit more, but it only irritated him more. He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself down, but he made the mistake of looking up into the mirror. When he caught a glimpse of his reflection, the unmistakable sight of scales on his neck made him snarl and he barely stopped himself from shattering the glass with his fist. Instead, he bit his lip hard enough to bleed and started up the shower again. He figured he was only in such a foul mood because he was horribly cold and the quickest remedy would be an incredibly hot shower.

William only wanted to get warm again and stayed under the near scalding water as long as he could tolerate it. Eventually the chill started leaving and he sighed in relief, but he was reluctant to leave the hot shower just yet. He was no longer cold, but he was still feeling a bit strange, a bit on edge...

Finishing breakfast and putting it out on the table, Timothy went to get Daniel from his crib, having heard him wake up, and gave him his bottle of milk to drink as he went to wake up William, surprised to find him not in the bed. Snake sighed, hearing the water running in the bathroom and turned to return to the kitchen, putting Daniel in his highchair and started on dishes as he waited for William.

William eventually made it out of the shower, thoroughly warmed up, and got himself dressed for the day. Not wanting to look in a mirror again, he opted for an ascot and a very stiff collar to cover his neck and combed his hair by memory. He made it into the kitchen and saw that Timothy had already made breakfast.

"Good morning," he said softly as he walked over to the baby and picked him up to give him a good morning kiss before setting him back in his high chair with his bottle. He then made his way over to Snake at the sink and gently placed his hands on his shoulders, "Good morning to you as well," he said into Timothy's ear as his hands wandered down to rest at the young man's waist before wrapping around him. "Thank you for cooking."

"Morning." He blushed, "I wanted you to be able to relax this morning…" he turned around and his blush brightened, "You…you look nice…" he said, fixing William's collar slightly so that the scales were completely hidden.

Will's hand shot up and grabbed Timothy's wrist, pulling his hand away from his neck with a sharp intake of breath and his eyebrow twitched. He hadn't meant to react like that, but he simply did not want his neck touched. He covered by bringing Tim's hand to his lips and kissing his knuckles, "Thank you. I appreciate it," he said with a soft smile.

Timothy blinked, having seen a flicker of anger…or annoyance at least before William kissed his hand. "…How…are you feeling this morning?"

"Truthfully? Not quite myself," he admitted, leaning down and pressing his forehead to Timothy's. His closeness and warmth was making Will feel a slight bit better again and he drew in a deep breath, simultaneously drawing in his lover's scent. He hummed softly and leaned in to kiss him gently.

"Do…you want us to come to work with you? To help try and keep you calm?" he asked, leading him over to the breakfast table where tea was waiting.

Will shook his head softly and followed after Timothy, but he was reluctant to let him go and wrapped arms around him once more.

"No, I'd rather not have you come to the Dispatch. I think it would put you and Dani in danger," he said as he nuzzled Snake's hair. He simply could not get enough of touching him and soon his hands were wandering under the hem of Timothy's shirt to caress over his back.

Snake's cheeks heated and he looked at William, "…You…will be late for work…" he whispered.

"What does it matter anymore?" he said softly as he leaned in and captured his lover's lips, his hold tightening as his nails dug in slightly.

Timothy lost himself in the kiss, returning it and wrapping his arms around William.

"Nnnnn, Da!" Daniel cooed, dropping his empty bottle and catching Snake's attention.

"W-William…not in front of Daniel…"

William didn't care...or rather, he had a growing drive that demanded be fed and touching Timothy was all his body wanted. Seemingly ignoring his protest, William covered Timothy's mouth with another kiss and held him tighter, his fingers moving to dip below the waistband of his pants.

Snake gave off a soft moan, but tried again, trapped in his lover's arms, "…But…Dani…"

Will did not stop, rather, his kisses moved from Snake's mouth to his jaw, down to his neck where he nipped and sucked softly, his hands drifting lower to caress Timothy's rear.

"Ahh…William…" Snake moaned out, biting his lip as his body responded to his lover's touches, his head tilting back, offering his neck, his eyes fluttering closed.

Will backed Timothy up against a counter as he continued kissing and nipping at his neck, moving back up to claim his lips with a soft growl.

Giving off a submissive whimper, Timothy rolled his hips, shifting them intimately against his lover's.

Since Timothy seemed to be welcoming his advances, William continued, purring hungrily as he lifted him up by the back of his thighs to perch him on the edge of the counter. He all but ripped off Snake's shirt and latched his teeth onto a nipple as he ran nails over his back.

"W-Wi—" Snake gasped, shocked by the unusual roughness, but strangely turned on by it.

Will was about to strip Timothy bare right then and there, but the soft hiccupping sob of Daniel broke right through his lust hazed mind. It was as if a different primal switch had been thrown and he tore away from Timothy to go to the baby. Now all he could focus on was the fact that his child was distressed. He picked Dani up in his arms and bounced him to soothe him. He rubbed gentle circles on his back until the baby burped and finally calmed. With that immediate need addressed, Will held him close a few moments longer before carrying him back to his room and laying him down in his crib. Almost without skipping a beat, he returned to Timothy and drew him up in his arms to resume their passionate kissing.

Timothy watched through lustful, glowing eyes as William tended to Daniel before returning. He waited a moment, wanting to shake himself of the lust he felt, but instead found himself throwing his arms around William to draw him in. "Mmmmh…"

William growled in approval and eagerly finished stripping Timothy of his clothes. As more skin was exposed the more aggressive William got. He lavished attention on every bit of flesh within reach. He kissed his way down Timothy's chest, slowly kneeling, nipping and sucking at his hip bones and without warning, took his lover's member into his mouth with a lusty purr.

"Ahh!" Snake gasped, his hand flying to bury his fingers into William's dark locks of hair, his head falling back and resting on the cabinet door behind him. His hips rolled slightly, "W-William…"

William sucked harder and dug his teeth in slightly, his hand rounding over Snake's hip and ass to slide fingers along his cleft with a hungry growl. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him but he wanted his lover right then and there. With hardly any teasing, he thrust a finger into his lover's tight heat.

Gasping, Snake jumped at the sudden intrusion. William was acting so different. He had always been gentle with him, at least at first. Sometimes things got rougher half-way through, but they had never started out roughly. It had almost been like William had thought he'd break Timothy if he moved too quickly, too roughly, but now that gentleness seemed completely gone, and it was making Snake react in a very animalistic way. Moans and growls of pleasure pushing past his normally shy lips without restraint.

Somewhere in his mind, he was surprised Tim wasn't shaking with fear or pushing him away. In fact, his sounds of pleasure drove William further into lust and he continued thrusting his finger hard and fast until he could stand it no longer. With another growl, he tugged Snake off the counter, flipped him around, and bent him over the countertop. He then pulled open his pants, reached over to the nearby butter dish, scooped up a good amount, gave his own throbbing member a few hard strokes and unceremoniously thrust himself hard and deep into his lover.

Snake cried out loudly, his body stiffening slightly, but he bit his lip, letting himself relax again, glancing back at his lust-crazed lover. Even the scales on his cheeks stained pink.

William grabbed Snake's chin as he slammed in again, hard and deep, and drew him into a vicious kiss. He nipped his lover's lips as he continued to pound into him, his hand sliding over Tim's hip and down his belly to grip his shaft and pump in time with the fierce thrusts.

"MM! WILL-IAM!" Snake gasped and cried out against his lover's lips, pressing back into his lover's movements, his nails digging into the counter as they slowly sharpened and lengthened into claws.

Will's hands moved to brace around Timothy's hips to stop from slamming into the counter, but to also pull his young lover closer and tighter to him. His pace was relentless, both in thrusting and in stroking, and he broke the kiss to graze teeth over Snake's neck, growling again before sinking teeth into the back of his lover's neck.

"Ahhn…" Timothy moaned and relaxed in his lover's arms, even as he felt a fang pierce into his skin, drawing out his blood. While he assumed it should be painful, it felt rather intimate and it encouraged him to press back into William's thrusting, rolling his hips to elongate the feel of the fast movements inside him, drawing more moans and whimpers from his lips.

The reaper was already panting. Timothy's eagerness was driving him crazy and he continued to slam into him full force, his breaths growing harsher as he moaned against his neck. His nails dug into Snake's skin, his fingers pressing into his hip. Feeling he was about to spill, he rammed himself incredibly deep and groaned against Timothy's neck as he filled him with his hot seed.

Nearly at the same time, Timothy breached his own limit, crying out as he toppled off into his climax, his own seed coating the cabinet door under the counter. His body shivered and he moaned, his legs giving out as he lay on the counter, held up by William's body.

William growled softly as he lazily thrust in and out of his lover a few more times before finally pulling out and tugging his young lover to the floor with him where they lay in a panting heap. His mind was still hazy, but it was a pleasurable feeling. He did not feel the slightest bit of irritation or anger and he nuzzled Timothy's neck with a deep contented purr.

Snake smiled and nuzzled against his lover, "…Feel better?" he whispered, able to sense how relaxed William seemed to be.

Timothy's only response was another nuzzle and low groan. William did not want to think at the moment. He was incredibly sated and wanted only to continue feeling that way. He pressed soft kisses to Snake's neck and ran his hands lazily over the contours of his lover's body.

Timothy smiled and curled up against him, contently relaxing with him and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, "I…I love you, William."

"Mnnn..." William hummed softly and held his lover close, his mind slowly coming out of the hazy lust that had overtaken him and he realized what had happened. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, his voice still a bit dazed.

Snake shook his head, "I…thought it would a few times…but it didn't…" he admitted.

"I don't know what came over me..." William said softly. "I just had to have you..."

"It's okay…you always have me." Snake whispered, "I just wasn't expecting it for breakfast…" he smiled, jokingly.

"Neither was I," William replied with a small smile of his own. He truly did feel much better, though he was reluctant to leave Snake's arms.

"…William…did you mean it when you said it didn't matter if you are late? I…I don't want you to get stressed because of it…"

"I am informing them of my immediate retirement today. I do not think there will be many repercussions, and if there are, then all the more reason for us to leave faster."

"Should I…start packing what's important? In case we need to leave when you get home?"

"...Perhaps. Though I still have no idea where we are to go..."

Snake rested against Will's chest, "…As long as we can be together as a family…" he started, "…It doesn't matter."

William kissed Timothy's head and sat up. "I will make arrangements as best I can," he said crisply before standing and helping his lover back to his feet as well. "For now, I must go."

With that, he cleaned himself up a bit, kissed both Dani and Tim goodbye and headed into work.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	23. Chapter 23

On his way to work, William began formulating a plan. He knew he could not just simply walk in and proclaim his retirement. It would be far too suspicious. However, if he had a valid reason, he could ease his way out of the Dispatch with little suspicion. He would take advantage of his frequent absences in the last year or so, and his odd behavior. It would not be all that strange for him to submit a request for retirement on the grounds of mental instability. He could play it up and perhaps over the course of a few weeks be able to leave the Dispatch with hardly any questions asked...But he would have to be subtle about it.

As he arrived at the office, he mussed his hair a bit and went to his office as usual, wrote out his proposal for retirement, outlining that he felt he was no longer qualified for the job as his competence was declining due to mental stress and emotional circumstances. He sent it to the higher ups, knowing it would take several days to be looked over. To make it more believable, he purposely miscalculated some reports, 'forgot' a few memos, and when spoken to by other staff members, he acted a bit dazed and flighty.

A group of workers were gathered around a desk, holding one of William's reports, which had been turned in only half finished and the part that was completed was riddled with mistakes. Simple mistakes, spelling errors, and over-all incorrect information. Such reports had been popping up all day and no one wanted to confront the man about it.

"Maybe…it's an off day…"

"For Spears? Impossible. An off day for him is to put a period rather than a comma. Not…whatever _this_ is…"

Ronald, who had been pulled into the group and who had been fixing the mistakes himself because lately William had been in such an irritable mood, finally had enough, snatching up the report and walking into William's office without knocking, "Senpai…I know you have the right to be stressed sometimes, but what the hell!" he dropped the file onto the man's strangely disorganized desk.

Keeping up his act, William jumped when Ron barged into his office and knew he would have a harder time keeping up the charade with the young reaper...

"Do you have an issue, Mr. Knox?" he asked, giving the blond a cold glare.

"Yes! I do!" the blond folded his arms, "Do your own work, and do it right! I'm not covering for you anymore today. Seriously. I don't know what your deal has been lately, but it needs to stop. Look at me, Senpai! _I'm_ lecturing _you_. That's not right!"

William suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on his desk, glaring at Ron.

"What right have you to speak to me in such a way? I have worked day in and day out for _decades_ before you were even born. I have spent years cleaning up messes rookies like _you_ make, without complaint, mind you, and a green whelp like you has the bloody audacity to make demands of me?" he said, his voice increasing in volume. In the back of his mind, he was wincing. He hated having to do this, but Ron had presented a perfect opportunity and he needed to take advantage of it.

Ronald jumped slightly but held his ground, "No, you know what? I may make mistakes, I may be 'green' still, but I _always_ put forth my best! And this," he pointed to the report, "Is something not even a first year academy student would dare think about turning in!"

"It is quite clear that I am losing my touch, Knox," William said as he slowly sat down again. "I am aware enough of my shortcomings to take preemptive action before it gets worse."

"…What do you mean, Senpai?" the blond frowned, not liking what the older reaper was sounding like.

"I mean I will be grooming another reaper to take my place as supervisor of this branch. Rather than risk decreasing productivity, I will be retiring both for the sake of the Dispatch and for the sake of my own mental health."

"What? But…you can't, Senpai! We need you. You keep everything running smoothly!"

"Apparently I do not if I must be reprimanded by a junior..."

"Because of one day of a serious lapse in finishing your work. You're probably just stressed. Is something…happening at home with Timothy, or something? Daniel?"

"It is an ongoing issue, Ronald," William said with a shake of his head and a sigh. "It is simply manifesting itself more prominently..."

"What is it? Senpai, you can talk to me. I can help." The blond said, sitting down across from him.

He knew Ron was genuinely concerned, and while he hated being secretive anymore, he had to keep it up...

"You can help me by getting back to work and letting me concentrate on my own tasks," he said crisply as he took the report back.

"William…Don't make me go get Alan. You know he's good at getting people to talk…and maybe by talking about it, the stress will lesson."

William sighed, knowing Ron was not going to make this easy.

"Go shut the door, Knox, and I will fill you in," he said nodding to the still open door to his office.

Ronald nodded and walked over to close the door before returning to his seat and looking at the supervisor.

He could not reveal what was happening to him as that would endanger Ron, but he could give him a more personal explanation. Satisfied that they would not be overheard, William spoke to Ron in a serious tone.

"You have noticed my odd behavior as of late. I have not been emotionally stable for a while, Ron. It is only natural that it would grow worse over the years and it is significantly affecting my performance..."

"But, you are too _young_ for all that…And…I'm sure Grell-senpai would go before you…" Ronald frowned.

"You do not understand, Ronald," William said with a sigh. He was going to have to lie by using some of the truth, but that would lend credibility to his claim. He would use the truth about recovering his memory of his mortal life as a base since it was not entirely false. He had been an extremely efficient, unshakable reaper up until that point...since then, emotion had invaded his life and render him vulnerable on the job. Had he not had those revelations, he never would have been kind enough to take Timothy in and none of all of this would have happened.

"Do you recall nearly two years ago when I took sudden leave for nearly a month?"

Ronald nodded, "A full month of non-stop being behind in everything for the whole dispatch department." He recalled, "Even Alan complained about the work load."

"That was only the beginning," William said with a sigh. "I do not know what the department was told about my absence, but it was a mental breakdown. I was inundated by memories of my mortal life and could not cope with them quickly...ever since then..." his voice trailed off.

"'Ever since then'…what?" he asked, tilting his head. "We had just thought you finally needed a vacation…"

"Since then I have not been able to control my emotions as I did before. It is difficult to control my reactions at times and it is wearing on me..."

"…But…can't Tim help you with that? Surely he's able to…he was able to find his way into your heart after all…"

"...No. He cannot," William said with a shake of his head. "Please, just trust me when I say this is for the best."

"It doesn't mean I have to like it!" Ronald said, crossing his arms, "You're a workaholic, but you get things done properly around here."

"You will just have to accept the reality, Ronald," William said with a shake of his head again. "I will not be supervisor any longer once I have trained a successor...and that will likely be Mr. Slingby."

Ronald wrinkled his nose, "Eric? You want to train _Eric_ to take over? Are you sure that's wise, senpai?"

Will allowed his eye to twitch slightly with irritation, purposely giving his voice a slight edge of warning. If a conversation kept swinging back and forth between calmness and anger, then it would lend credibility to his claim of emotional instability.

"Yes, I am sure. Why must you question my every answer?"

"I'm…just saying Eric's…I mean, I love the guy but…he's not the best at keeping his paperwork organized…Alan actually helps him a lot with it."

"Knox, you are not helping me. Get out," William said lowly as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"…But I'm _trying_ to help, senpai…" Ronald frowned.

"You are not helping my mood whatsoever," he said coldly, trying to get Ron to leave.

"Stop being so touchy! I'm trying to help, okay, senpai? I just think Alan would be a better choice, even if Eric has been a reaper longer."

"I think you know why I did not choose Alan," William said with a raised eyebrow.

"…I try not to think about that…" Ronald said, looking down at his hands.

William now felt awful for being so cold...he did not want to hurt Ron, but he could not tell him the truth. If he knew, then he might be subject to questioning and he'd not place such a burden on the young reaper.

"I apologize for being so severe, but, honestly, get back to work," he said lowly again. "I will not tell you again."

"…No, I suppose you won't be." Ronald muttered, disappointment clear in his tone as he stood up and walked over to the door, "…Just don't go treating Timothy like this. He doesn't deserve it."

This was going to be far more difficult than he imagined. He wanted to call Ron back, to truly explain what was happening...but he could not. He simply cold not risk him...not after all he'd done for his family. It was such a shame to cause ill feelings, but there was no choice. It was cause ill feelings or risk ruining Ron's life. That was not a difficult decision, but playing it out downright hurt.

He continued on with the rest of the day acting strangely, enough to make others question his mental state a few times. Not enough to frighten or cause alarm, but enough to make it seem as if he was going to crack.

* * *

 

Throughout the day, between taking care of Daniel, Snake hurried around the house, gathering the important possessions and packing them neatly away along with some clothes for each of them, just in case they needed to leave right away. The bags' space was mostly taken up by essential baby items. He put the bags in a closet, out of the way, and went about taking care of his son, sighing when he found the boy and Goethe covered in applesauce in the kitchen, after only leaving them alone for a second to use the bathroom real quick.

"…Goethe, you were supposed to watch, not make a mess…" he chuckled, picking up the baby and the snake, "Okay, looks like bath time for the both of you."

After his extremely tying day at work, William finally returned home, feeling incredibly exhausted from keeping up his facade. He sighed heavily as he came through the door.

Hearing the door, and struggling playfully to clean Daniel and not get drenched himself as the child splashed the shallow water of his bath, Snake called out, "William? Is that you?"

"Yes, love," William answered as he hung up his coat. His heart was still heavy from the day, but he needed to get hold of himself. He made his way towards Snake's voice and couldn't help but smile when he saw the pair of them together.

Timothy flinched as he was splashed in the face by the giggling baby boy, smiling as he dried his face on his sleeve before looking back at William, "How was work?" he asked, hoping to keep things normal and keep William calm as the man seemed sensitive about his change.

"Odd," William admitted. "Very odd. I am attempting to convince everyone that I have become mentally unstable, and the only one to really question it so far has been Knox."

"You are their boss…" Snake said, rinsing off Daniel and picking him up in a towel to dry him as he turned to go greet William with a small kiss on the cheek, "Maybe…they are too shy?"

"I don't want them to question it," he said with a shake of his head as he toweled off Dani's hair. "It is just going to be harder to convince Ron, even more-so will be Grell. We do not have to leave immediately, but that environment is not helping my mood, either. I did not exactly have to pretend to be losing my patience."

Snake blinked up at him, and frowned, handing the wet, towel-bundled baby off to William and disappearing out the door.

Daniel giggled and touched his father's cheek, his fingers curling around William's glasses. William took Daniel into his arms quickly and finished drying him off. Of course, his son never failed to make him smile and he pressed a fond kiss to his forehead, the day's annoyances melting away as he held the child close.

Timothy dug through a bag that he had packed for himself earlier that day, and pulled out a small square, wooden box before returning to William. He turned the box over in his hand, "I…I got this for you right before Daniel was born…I was saving it…for this winter, but…it might help you more now…" he held it out.

Will shifted the baby in his arms and accepted the box with a quizzical look, "What is it?" he asked, looking it over before handing Daniel back to Snake to open it.

"I thought surprises were supposed to be discovered…" he blushed, taking their son.

Once the box opened, it revealed a silver pocket watch with a rabbit and a snake curled up together carved into the front, on the inside was a small picture of the three of them.

William didn't know what to say. It was such a beautiful and meaningful gift...He kept running his fingers over the carving and looking at the picture fondly. He gave Timothy a small smile before pulling him and their son into a gentle embrace.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"Because…We can't go to work with you…I thought it could maybe help make it feel like we are?"

"This can certainly help me, yes," he said with a soft nod. "Though I still have no idea how or where we will live once I leave the Dispatch...Nor will I be able to keep this a secret from Grell if he continues to be involved with your father."

"…Father would be able to find us when we leave…" he agreed, "Maybe Red can help you look…not normal anymore?"

"I could...but I do not want him to be endangered by this, either. The entire point of abandoning everything is to keep them and ourselves safe..."

"But he'll know…Father would tell him…" Snake muttered, sinking a little.

"Unless we ask him not to. I think he would see the value in that. The thing that truly worries me is how I shall make a living. I have some savings, but we have Daniel and we must be able to provide for him. I suppose I could do odd jobs or get back into book keeping elsewhere, but I have a feeling we shall have to be on the move frequently. And I have no intention of giving up Reaping entirely. I will keep my scythe for emergencies and I will collect souls in danger of being poached should I come across such situations, but I also fear that I may need to...feed," he sighed heavily. "I apologize, there is just so much I am not ready for. It is terribly unbalancing..."

Snake wrapped his free arm around William, "I'll help too. I still have some money too…from the circus and working for Smile…And…I know how to make money on the move…I could start performing again."

"No, I do not want you to do that," William said with a shake of his head. "Unless it is something you truly wish to do,' he added, not wanting to sound controlling. "I simply do not want you to put yourself on display. You deserve much better than that...And how are we going to feed you, now? My blood will soon not be enough for you."

"…My biting you to feed is what got us into this to begin with anyway…" he muttered sadly.

"That was not your fault," William said, tilting Timothy's chin up. "And it is done. There is nothing that can change it n-now..." Suddenly William was quite dizzy and swayed in place. Black swept over his vision as he knees went weak and he sank to the floor. He was extremely disoriented as he tried to fight the dizziness away.

"William!" Timothy Set Daniel down on the floor in the hall, "Emily, watch Dani!" he said, gathering William into his arms to help him onto the sofa in the sitting room.

William weakly tried to get his feet underneath him and managed to stumble to the sofa with Timothy's help. The dizziness wasn't relenting and his neck burned now. He frantically reached up to scratch at it as his body grew uncomfortably warm.

"Try not to scratch…" Once Will was on the couch, Snake pressed his hand to Will's forehead, immediately running to the kitchen for some cold water to cool him down with.

The feel of Timothy's skin made something surge in him, but before he could grab his mate, he was gone. He groaned softly as he slumped on the couch, his mind extremely foggy as he rubbed at his neck and the warmth grew worse.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	24. Chapter 24

William was about to roll off the couch to go after Snake when there was a supposed knock at the door, but it could hardly be called that as after the initial 'thump', the door flew open and an irate Grell burst in.

"What the bloody hell is this retirement business?!" he frothed as he stormed into the sitting room. The redhead sneered as he entered the room, but his anger was almost instantly sobered when he was suddenly tackled and a growling William shoved him against a wall, pinning him there.

William couldn't think. He was hot, too hot, and thirsty. So damn thirsty, but he couldn't think! He heard the front door open and a scent hit his nose that suddenly had him on his feet and tackling the source of that scent, burying his face in the redhead's neck, seeking out that which he _knew_ would make the thirst and burning go away.

Snake came back in with a bowl of cold water and a cloth. He halted, doing a double-take as he spotted William and Grell, his eyes widening, "W-William, don't!" he sat the bowl down and ran over to the two coworkers, sliding his arms around William, "Don't! You'll regret it!"

William's only response was a snarl and he tried to sink teeth into Grell's neck.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with him?!" Grell screeched as he grabbed William by the jaw and tried to shove him away, but the taller reaper just kept trying to press closer, his teeth snapping. Grell gasped when he saw elongating fangs and Will's pupils bleeding to red.

In a last, desperate attempt to get William off Grell, Timothy raised and arm, wedging it between Will's lips and Grell's neck, letting him bite into him.

When presented with soft skin, William finally dug his teeth in, but the blood that hit his tongue was not what he wanted and he growled angrily, bristling at being denied what he knew he needed.

"Will! What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Grell snapped as William's bloodied lips from hurting Timothy made anger flare in him. He gave a mighty shove that threw the other off balance. It was enough for him to wiggle out, though once he was free, he knocked Timothy out of the way, and wrenched William's arms behind his back and shoved him face first against the wall. Will might have been a bit bigger and stronger, but the right hold could render him useless. "Timmy, what is going on here? Why is he trying to eat me?" he snapped as the other reaper writhed, snarling and trying to wrench his arms out of Grell's grip.

"…I think…he's not used to the thirst…says myself." He said, holding his arm. "William…is turning demon…"

"He's what? "Grell screeched. "Okay, alright, no, that's not what's important right now. How can we get him to calm the bloody hell down? He needs food?" Grell asked, his mind racing. "You need blood, so he must need the same. Why didn't he want your blood?"

"…Demon blood…isn't as good as reaper blood…or human…or angel… not as filling…says myself."

"Sweet Rhea! So I've got to open a vein for him?" Grell said with a bit of an unsure look. "I don't want him getting anywhere near me with that mouth or biting me. He'd rip me apart," he said, looking around. "Toss out that water and bring me that bowl. Hurry!" he said before pressing all of his weight against William, pinning his arms between their bodies as he peeled off his glove and nicked his wrist with his teeth. "I don't know if it'll work, but it's better than nothing!" he said, holding his wrist out to drip over the bowl.

William bucked against Grell, his growling and snarling growing worse, the patch of scales on his neck spreading.

Snake held the bowl out, letting Grell fill it with blood, biting his lip as he hoped it'd work. Grell let the bowl fill to a decent amount where he would not risk losing too much strength in case Will decided to get rowdy again.

"Give it to him," Grell said with a nod. "I don't want to put that fresh wound anywhere near his face." Again, Timothy obeyed the redhead, moving around to tip the bowl of blood to William's lips.

William snarled again when something was shoved into his face, but the scent of the blood made his eyes roll up in his head and as soon as the bowl touched his lips, he drank greedily. His bucking ceased, though he finally managed to wrench his arms out of Grell's hold. When he was free, he did not attempt to attack again, but instead focused on holding the bowl as he sank to his knees again. All he cared about was that his thirst was being quenched and he began to calm.

Grell carefully backed away just in case and watched William to make sure there would be no further outbursts. After Will finished off the bowl and even went so far as to lick it clean, he sighed and began to slump to the side.

Snake sighed and grabbed a first-aid kit, "Thank you, Grell…says myself." He said, taking the reapers wrist to clean the wound and bandage it.

Grell looked at the young half-demon curiously. "Grell? Not 'Red'? Huh. I must have done something amazing..." he said with a grin.

Meanwhile, William was slowly coming back to himself. Since the awful hunger/thirst that had suddenly taken hold was sated, his mind was clearing again, and he wasn't liking what he was feeling nor the coppery taste on his tongue. He slowly opened his eyes and looked down to see a bowl in his hands, and looking around he spotted Timothy bandaging Grell's arm. "...What happened?" he asked softly, his voice sounding airy, slightly quavering, almost like a child dreading that his nightmares were real.

Snake blushed a little at Grell's observation, but didn't respond to it, looking instead to William, "…You got…hungry…" he whispered.

"...Hungry?" William asked, looking down at the bowl.

"You tried to eat me, you daft bastard," Grell spat as he took the bandages from Timothy and wrapped the wound on the young half-demon's own arm. "And you bit Timmy! I had to knock you into the wall and keep you there to keep from sinking your teeth into me, too. Now I know the real reason why you're 'retiring', but how the hell did you go and get yourself turned demonic?"

"…I…I bit him…when I shouldn't have…" Timothy admitted slowly, "William says it's not my fault, but that's why…says myself."

"It wasn't your fault. Your body wasn't healing fast enough and I did not want to risk you dying...neither of us knew this was a possibility," he said softly, still dazed. His eyes slowly went back to green, though there was a circle of red still present and the patch of scales did not go away. "I am very sorry," he said looking between both Timothy and Grell. His hands shook as he looked down at the bowl, then his eyes suddenly widened and he dropped the bowl to cover his mouth, taking to his feet quickly and dashing off to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

"You had better not be throwing up that blood I just gave you, you ungrateful bastard!" Grell sneered. Of course the sounds of retching could be heard, and the redhead snorted, not at all surprised that William was not taking this well. "Where's the baby?" the reaper asked, looking to Timothy.

Timothy pouted, "He never let me refuse blood…or cough it up when I awoke a demon…says myself."

Looking at the redhead, he pointed to the baby who was crawling across the floor towards them, Emily slithering right beside him, hissing encouragements to the unstable child.

"Will is always one to say: 'Do as I say, not as I do'." Grell said in a perfect mockery of William's voice. "I'm sure dear Will is just incredibly overwhelmed. Unlike you, he had quite a rabid hatred for demon-kind. It's since dulled since he's been with you, darling, but accepting a loved one for what they are is completely different from becoming that same thing yourself. Know what I mean? I couldn't care less what he is which is why it angered me something fierce when Ron was complaining about Will's behavior. I had to come see what the deal was and I am glad I did. You two are going to need help."

"He doesn't want help…" he shook his head, "He thinks you'll be in trouble if you do…says myself."

Daniel had crawled up to Grell and tugged on his red jacket, oblivious to his parents' distress, "Ahhwa!" he cooed before gumming the hem of the garment.

"As if I care if I'll be in trouble," Grell scoffed as he picked up Dani and gave him a kiss on the nose. "I'm shagging your dad, after all, Timmy, I'm bound to find myself in trouble soon enough. I can understand leaving Ronnie, Eric, and Alan out of it, though. But you are stuck with me. I'd never let you disappear with my darling nephew. You were feeding on Will, right?"

Snake nodded, "He didn't want me feeding any other way…" he admitted.

Daniel gave a happy squeal and lightly smacked Grell's cheek, grabbing onto the lock of hair that fell into the redhead's face.

"I thought as much," he said, pulling his hair free of the baby's grasp and giving the boy his finger to grab and gum on. "And now that he's demonic, you both are going to need a food source."

Timothy nodded, "But…he says we can't stay…says myself."

"Of course you can't," Grell said with a shake of his head. "If the Dispatch got a whiff that Will had turned demonic, they'd hunt him down to protect reaper secrets. But that doesn't mean I couldn't find you. Your dad could keep me informed, yeah?"

Again he nodded, "I…I just want Dani and William to stay safe…says myself."

William finally came out of the bathroom, still looking a little green.

"Feeling better?" Grell asked as he looked to Will.

William's response was simply a small nod. "I have to admit, that was horrifying," he said with a heavy sigh.

Snake walked over to him, "I…I don't think you should go back to work tomorrow." He said in a rare, firm tone.

"I wasn't going to. I can't risk losing control like that again...and I can't hide this," he said, gesturing to the large patch of scales that now ran from just below his earlobe, a little over his jaw, and down to his collarbone. "And...my eyes..."

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, not knowing how else to comfort William other than to keep holding him.

"No, it's alright, but, Grell...you weren't supposed to know."

"Tch! As if I wouldn't have found out eventually! I can cover for you for a few days until you two figure out where you're going, but when you leave, I'm going to be on your heels."

"You can't do that, Grell!"

"I can and you will let me or I will tell Eric, Alan, and Ronnie the truth," Grell said, wagging a finger.

Snake blinked before giving off a small chuckle, "Then we'd have four of them following us…"

"And that would be a rather large problem," William sighed. "I am touched, but it is because I care that I do not want to drag everyone into this."

"I know that, Will, but I'm bound to be damned soon enough myself. I quite fancy Tristin but I doubt the Dispatch will approve of my fraternizing over time. I might as well be with my family if I am to lose my career," he said with a shrug.

"Isn't…that desertion? …asks myself." Snake asked, looking at the redhead.

"Yes, and?" Grell asked, tilting his head. "It's a matter of necessity."

"You should not…anger them more…says myself." He said, "They are already going to be mad…"

"There is nothing to be done for it," Grell said with a shrug. "I suppose I could fake my own death."

Daniel yawned, laying his head against Grell's shoulder and closing his eyes.

Snake looked at his son and stood up, "Should put him to bed…" he mumbled, taking him from Grell.

"Let me?" William said, stepping forward to take Daniel. "He...calms me."

He nodded and handed the naked baby to William, "His clean pajamas are on the changing table…"

William nodded and held Dani close, cradling his head and letting the boy sleep on his shoulder as he carried him to the nursery. Once William was out of sight, Grell went back to Timothy.

"And how are you holding up, darling?"

Snake looked down at his hands, "…It really is my fault…" he muttered in a low voice, "I ruined William's life. He just won't admit it…says myself."

Grell's eyes widened as he grabbed Timothy by the shoulders.

"Don't you dare say that!" Grell insisted. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to him! What he's going through now isn't easily explained, but it is not your fault."

"But…he'd still be a reaper if I hadn't bit him…I…I had even taken too much that time…says myself."

"Yes, but if you had died, he would be far worse off," Grell said, shaking his head. "He hasn't blamed you, has he?"

He shook his head, "But he's so…unhappy…says myself." he murmured sadly.

"Darling, no matter what assuring words he gave you when you changed, you were not entirely happy with for a long time, right?"

He paused and nodded, "Yes…but…but I was born with this…he wasn't…says myself."

"Which is why it is harder for him to accept it, but the principal is the same. How long has he known? Only a few days? It will take some time for him to adjust."

"…I wish it never happened! I want to change him back!" he said, "It'd be better…says myself."

William had just finished putting the baby to bed and had rounded the corner when he heard Snake's little outburst. Grell winced when he noticed William's eyes tighten slightly.

"There is nothing to be done about it, Timothy," William said softly and calmly. "And I would not take it back as it likely saved your life. I am sorry for putting you through all of this, though."

Timothy turned around, his eyes wide, "I…I'm sorry…I…" He got up and ran over to him, hugging him, "I didn't mean…You aren't…You're in pain and I…"

"I know you didn't mean anything," William said softly, pulling his fingers through Snake's hair. "You are saying what I want to say deep down, save for the blaming you part. I can never blame you, and I should be grateful that this was the only price for saving you. We are both still alive, after all...but I do not want this, either. I am not all that strong and I am finding it difficult to bear...but...I am trying."

"Then…Then no more throwing it up! He gestured to the bathroom, "You…need it…and you'll just need it more if you reject it…" he whispered, hugging William tight.

"I didn't do it on purpose," William said, his face going red with embarrassment.

"Well if you do need more, just tell me," Grell said with a sigh. "I don't mind so long as you aren't sinking those nasty looking fangs into me."

"'Nasty'?" Snake frowned, "They look like cobra fangs…not nasty." Snake commented innocently.

"I didn't mean as in 'gross', I meant as in 'that would bloody well hurt'," Grell snorted. "Besides, if one of you bit me, you'd be risking losing a food source," he chuckled.

"But…I can't drink from you…" Snake spoke up, "You're…a friend…I…I don't want to hurt you or...or change you too…"

"Then I won't let you near me when you're hungry. We'll do what we just did for Will, eh?"

"Are you sure that's what you want, Grell?" William asked looking over Timothy's head.

Snake frowned and leaned against William and glancing over at Grell.

"I already told Timmy that I am not letting you two disappear with _my_ nephew. You two are the most family I have and I'll be cast out myself sooner or later, I'd rather it be on my terms and be useful to you both."

"It's still…a scary choice…" Snake muttered.

"Is this what we all really want?" William asked, tilting Timothy's face up to look into his eyes. "You are not obligated to stay with me."

His shy expression hardened into a stubborn look, "I'm not letting you get away!"

"I know I promised to take care of you, but I did not foresee this," William said softly. "I...don't know what will happen to me."

"Then let me take care of you too!" he said, "You…You didn't stop loving me when I awoke demonic…why should I stop when you change?"

"No, I didn't, but...this is not the life I wanted for us," William said, resting his cheek on top of Timothy's head.

"That doesn't mean you can give up on us…you can't!" he choked, tears gathering in his eyes.

"I-I'm not giving up," William said, moving to cradle Timothy's face in his hands. "I would never give you up, I just fear...I fear that-"

"You're not going to change so much that he's going to reject you and neither is your son," Grell huffed, crossing his arms. "You're still William T. Spears, even if your mind is all bungled up right now. You'll get a grip on the situation soon enough, you always do."

Timothy nodded in agreement. "I love you. I won't leave you alone." He whispered.

"And I love you," William said softly as he nuzzled Timothy's hair.

"And Tristin would kill you if you tried to run off and left Timmy all alone," Grell pointed out with a grin. "If I didn't find you first, that is."

Timothy shook his head, "I won't let him leave…unless he's taking Dani and I."

"Even if I did disappear, I could not be away for long. I would be too heartsick."

A smile curled Timothy's lips, and he leaned in to press a kiss to his lips, "So…what…should we do now? You can't go back to work…"

"I will call in and hold off any investigation for a few days, but we must leave within the next few days."

"How far…should we plan to go?" he asked, not knowing how far reapers went when investigating something like this.

"I honestly don't know," William said, shaking his head. "We should leave London, probably head to the continent. From there, I suppose we simply keep moving."

"Idea!" Grell said raising his hand. "Why don't we tell Timmy's daddy about this, hmm? He might have an idea."

"Father?" he asked, tilting his head, "But Father's busy…we shouldn't bother him…"

"He's going to find out sooner or later, but it's your choice," Grell said with a shrug.

"I don't want to bother anyone." He said, shaking his head.

William sighed and looked around. "Well, we should probably start packing as soon as possible." As he was talking, Mary had come hopping up to Timothy's feet and Will spotted her. He smiled softly and went to reach for her, but as soon as he came close, she hopped back out of reach. Will's brow furrowed and he reached for her again only to get the same result.

"I have the most important things packed already like I said I would…it's in the closet…" Timothy trailed off, watching William trying to keep Mary's attention. He stooped down himself, reaching his own hand out to her, wondering if she wasn't feeling well.

Mary did not shy away from Timothy and licked at his fingers. William gave a wry smile.

"I should have seen that coming,' he sighed as he straightened up. "But, let's get started..."

"I'll leave you two to it, you know where to find me," Grell said with a wink before turning to the door. "Just remember, Will, you are still you...just in a slightly different skin."

"She'll get used to your new scent…" Timothy said, straightening back up, "She's just unsure if you are you…says Emily."

"I think that's a question I am asking myself," William said softly as Grell left.

"But you are you!" Timothy insisted.

"I know..." William said softly. "I am just not feeling like myself with all these...urges. It is taking every bit of my willpower not to do certain things."

"…Do what things..?" he asked.

"When I am not feeling murderous and wanting to tear every living thing near me to ribbons, I am feeling...hungry. And thirsty. Right now I am fine, but- do you want the honest truth?"

Snake nodded, leaning in against him.

William swallowed hard and put his hands on Timothy's shoulders. "I...I think it is because your soul is so pure...I want to ravish you," he said softly. "Not make love. And not what happened earlier this morning. I want to be merciless with you, make you scream, and I would never forgive myself if I even came close to feeding that hunger..."

Snake blushed a dark red, "It…I wouldn't be unwilling…not with you…" he whispered.

"And that is the problem," William said, swallowing hard. "This deep, awful urge does not want you to be willing."

"And that's what makes it impossible for it to happen, William."

"You don't understand, Timothy," William said through grit teeth as his grip tightened on his lover's shoulders. "This craving would make it that way...I would _hurt_ you."

Tim shook his head, pulling him down into another hug. He refused to believe it.

William stiffened slightly as Timothy's scent assaulted his nose and his grip grew tight once more. "You...don't...understand..." William protested but his voice melted into a growl as he buried his nose in Timothy's neck. The boy did not smell like food to him...he smelled of mate, innocent mate, not the kind that would survive unless he proved his strength. With another growl, William pulled his hands down Timothy's back and roughly groped him as he practically rolled in his scent.

"Mhh!" Snake moaned a gasp, though not of surprise. He had expected William to act on his instincts they had just been talking about. Hungry for contact, Will slid his hands up under his lover's shirt. Will's fingers dug into Snake's skin as he continued to growl, and he dragged his teeth over the young man's neck. Without warning, he toppled Timothy to the floor, forcing himself between his legs to grind hard as nails raked down Snake's back.

Snake flinched as his head banged into the hard wooden floor, but he pushed the pain aside as he looked up at his lover, his back arching as sharp nails cut down it along his spine. He reached forward, grabbing William's shoulders the rough treatment starting to awaken his more savage side he kept repressed. With a groan, he pulled himself against Will, crushing their lips together.

Timothy's lips against his own made him groan and he began tearing away his lover's clothes, exposing his skin. He tore his lips away from the young half-demon's and nipped and sucked at each bit of flesh as it was revealed.

"Mmn," Timothy groaned, his lips parting for each sound, and his body pressing into each nip and suck he felt along his torso.

The reaper was slightly soothed by his lover's presence, but the hunger was stronger and with another growl, he pulled back and flipped Timothy onto his belly as he dragged off his pants. The sight of the young half-demon writhing beneath him made his blood boil and he aggressively pulled open his own pants and laid over him, pressing his fully hardened length along Timothy's cleft, grinding hard.

Suddenly being flipped over caught the half-blood by surprise, and he made a startled noise, looking back over his shoulder as William rubbed against him.

Will's nails dug deeper into Timothy's sides. William paid no heed to the young man looking over his shoulder and bit into the back of his neck viciously as he lined himself up and began to press into the small, soft body below him. His mate. This was his right; this was what he was meant to do...

"Ahh!" Timothy forced himself to relax so that his unprepared entrance wouldn't hurt as much as William's dry member pressed in, making his entrance stretch around him. He squeezed his eyes closed, panting as he waited for his body to adjust.

The discomfort meant nothing to the turning-demon as he kept the young man's neck in his jaws. His hands moved to grip Timothy's hips and he pulled back to kneel, pulling the young man with him onto his hands and knees before him. He dug his nails in hard and pulled back to slam into his heat, growling deeply against his mate's neck.

Timothy cried out again, his arms and legs shaking as they held up his weight, he kept his head lowered, the teeth in the back of his neck holding him in place.

William slammed into him again, tasting blood on his lips as he continued his assault. His mind was gone. All he knew and wanted was to claim his mate, to mark him, to test him and see if he was truly mate material. Yes, they had spawn, but that was _before_. Now he was stronger and had the instinctual need to make sure his mate was as well...

Snake Gasped, his eyes glowing a deep magenta as he curled his fingers, his black nails scraping deep gashes into the floor as they lengthened into claws.

Will snapped his hips, driving himself hard and deep as he took up a fierce rhythm, trying to drive the air from the younger demon's lungs with each harsh thrust. He raked his nails over Snake's hips as he sucked on the wound he'd put on the back of his neck...but there was no fear. He could neither taste nor smell any fear as he licked his lips and groaned softly, his thrusting becoming less harsh, more rolling...

Snake relaxed a little more as William's movements became a little more gentle…a little more like the William he knew and loved. His cries softened into moans and he met William's thrusts by leaning back, pressing himself further onto his lover.

The feeling of Snake accepting him sparked something deep inside and he purred deeply. His hands which once were digging into the boy's skin were now caressing over his sides, chest, down his belly and his fingers danced over Timothy's shaft, coaxing it to hardness in time with his more gentle thrusts. That's right, the mate made pleasant sounds...and when the mate was pleasured, he would squeeze around him in an equally pleasurable way...Now pleasuring rather than dominating Snake was his priority.

"William…" Snake hissed out in pleasure, not sure if he'd spoken in English or Serpent tongue.

Will liked the sound that rolled off the young man's tongue and he continued his ministrations. He gently rocked his hips and licked the back of Timothy's neck as he kept stroking him, wanting to make him moan. And moan he did, panting lightly as he let out small noises. Each movement coaxing him closer and closer to his release.

His thrusts grew a little more firm and faster as the heat that was building inside him grew more intense. His gut tightened and every thrust was making him let loose moans of his own. Just as it was beginning to feel like too much, he cried out. Simultaneously as he hit his peak, he felt incredibly dizzy and the only thing he could hold on to was Timothy. Heat coursed through his body as he emptied his seed into his lover, and he gasped and growled as he rode out whatever this was until it all went black. When the world came back to him, he found he had only been out perhaps a few seconds and he had gone limp atop Timothy.

Timothy hadn't been far behind, crying out in his own climax as he spilled out onto the floor and collapsed, William atop of him. He was unaware that William had blacked out, and was panting to regain his breath, "…William…" he murmured contentedly.

Will groaned softly and pushed himself up and off of Timothy. His knees hurt a bit as they'd been rubbed raw, but he was sure his lover's were in a worse state. He laid at Timothy's side, reaching out to caress his hair and apologize, but the sight of his newly black nails made him halt...he habitually went to chew his lip and hissed softly when he felt the prick of fangs. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard and forced himself to pet the young half-demon's hair.

"I'm so sorry, Timothy," he said softly...his voice trembling a bit.

"Don't be…" he turned his head to look at the newborn demon, "I told you it'd be okay…" he reached out to touch William's cheek as he gazed into his red eyes.

"No, it isn't..." he said, as he pressed his face into his lover's touch, "But it will be," he finished with a small smile.

Snake rolled onto his side and claimed William's lips, "Everything will be." He nodded.

"Everything will be," William repeated softly against his lover's lips. "I love you, Timothy."

* * *

  **-End-**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankyou for reading, we hope you enjoyed it!


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